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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28947297">Lifeline</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/anagentinwriting/pseuds/anagentinwriting'>anagentinwriting</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>911 calls/situations, Alcohol, Angst, Arson, Blood, Car Accidents, Character Death, Domestic Violence, Elevators, F/M, Fires, Fluff, Guns, Hospitals, Kidnapping, Language, Mental Abuse, Mental Health Issues, Panic Attacks, Physical Abuse, Relationship Abuse, Sexual Situations, Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:47:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>68,308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28947297</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/anagentinwriting/pseuds/anagentinwriting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>(First Responder!AU) Moving to Los Angeles and living with your brother, Thor, was never part of your plan nor was being a 9-1-1 dispatcher, but plans change when you are faced with your own emergencies. In your case, it was leaving behind a relationship that wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Will this be the fresh start you were hoping for or will your past find a way to catch up with you?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers &amp; Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my first Steve Rogers story, and I hope I did him justice. This story is inspired by one of my favorite TV shows, 9-1-1. There are some similarities between the show and this story, so spoiler warning if you haven’t seen the show or plan to see the show! I hope you enjoy it!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A line ringing over your headset notifies you another emergency call is coming in. You cleared your head, preparing for anything, and clicked the spacebar, answering it, “911, what’s your emergency?” </p><p>“Bro, that was insane,” the male voice said over the phone. “You’re gonna be famous on YouTube.” </p><p>“Excuse me, sir? What seems to be the problem?” you asked, letting out a sigh. </p><p>“My friend is having trouble breathing, and his throat feels like it’s on fire.”</p><p>“What’s the address?”</p><p>“576 Rose Lane in Westwood.” </p><p>You typed the address into your computer, signaling the nearest available unit to the caller's location. “First responders are on their way. Can you tell me what he was doing before this happened?”</p><p>“We were doing the cinnamon challenge.” You rolled your eyes. “I thought it was harmless. Then, he was gagging, and then he coughed, and a puff of cinnamon came out of his nose. It was awesome; he looked like a dragon.” It's been a while since you got a call about an internet challenge gone wrong, but it's been forever since you got a cinnamon challenge one. You didn't even know that challenge was still around.  “Oh fuck!”</p><p>“Is everything okay? What happened?” </p><p>“He collapsed. He’s not moving. Should I shake him awake?”</p><p>“He probably passed out, but paramedics are only a few minutes away. Is he still breathing?”</p><p>“I don’t think so,” he panicked.</p><p>“Remember to stay calm, I’ll help you through this the best I can, okay? Okay, now I am going to have to ask you to administer CPR. Do you know what to do?” </p><p>“Sort of. I learned it in health class a few years ago.”</p><p>“Perfect. It's 30 chest compressions followed by two breaths going to the rhythm of the song Staying Alive. You can do this.”</p><p>“Ok---okay. Yeah. Right, right,” he mumbled. Hearing him set the phone down on the ground, he started counting and doing chest compressions.</p><p>The responding unit was about a block away, and once they arrived, you could hear the sirens coming through the phone call.</p><p>“Odinson, take over compressions,” a lady’s voice commanded. “Kid, come with me.”</p><p>“Is he going to be...” the line went dead as he hung up his phone.  </p><p>You leaned back in your chair, rubbing your eyes. This wasn’t anything new; when help arrives, people hang up, and you don’t get to know how it ends, but maybe it was for the best. You sit back up, seeing your reflection in one of the many screens in front of you. At least, you knew most of the firefighters from Station 107 at the scene, including your brother Thor, if you ever wanted to know how it ended.</p><p>It's tough, taking call after call, emergency after emergency with little to no recovery time in between. It’s a stressful job that is emotionally and physically taxing. It requires extreme focus, patience, and puts you under a certain kind of pressure. The pressure of wanting to help and do everything you possibly can when this person you never met puts their life in your hands. You never know what the outcome will be, but you try to help them get through what might be the scariest moment in their life. It’s those calls, the ones you were able to save, that keep you coming back to work.</p><p>You stepped away from your command center and headed towards the kitchenette, spotting Luis rummaging through the fridge. It wasn’t unusual, but it did always bring a smile to your face. It was hard to believe he was one of the dispatchers who showed you the ropes after relocating to Los Angeles three months ago. </p><p>“Hey, Luis.” He turned around with a doughnut in his mouth, quickly removing it and shooting you a carefree smile.  </p><p>“Hey, Chica, get any weird calls yet? You know I love hearing about those weird ones, right.” </p><p>“Nothing out of the ordinary, but a guy called earlier saying his whole body hurt everywhere he poked. I told him to drive to the emergency room and get his finger looked at because it’s probably broken. Oh, and there was another cinnamon challenge victim.”</p><p>“Another one, I thought that craze was over.” He shook his head. “But I did hear about this crazy call that came in last night, right. It wasn’t so much crazy, but one of those nuisance calls, you know what I’m saying, the kind where you’re like, ‘why are you calling, this isn’t an emergency type of situation?’ Anyways, Cameron Klein took the call; you know the dude with the great hair, the kind you just want to run your hands through. It has the perfect fluff to curl ratio. I mean, I touched it once, and it was like a cloud. I asked him what products he used in his hair, and he was like…” </p><p>“Luis, how does this relate to the call?”</p><p>“Oh, right. Sorry, sorry, sorry, so there was this lady caller, right. She was telling Great Hair how she couldn't leave her car because there was a hostile raccoon outside her door. So then, Great Hair was like why don’t you go out a different door. And this caller says ‘yo I tried, but it’s like this trash panda can read my mind, right. He follows me when I move to the other side, and he’s like crazy, stupid fast like a rocket.’ And here comes the best part, Great Hair was like, ‘Hey girl, you better run fast then,’ and hung up,” he beamed with a slight chuckle.</p><p>“Oh my god, people really need to learn what an emergency is,” you chuckled, shaking your head. </p><p>“You know that’s right, but duty calls.” He tilted his head towards the door, carrying two doughnuts and a huge mug full of coffee. </p><p>“Later, Luis.”</p><p>Years ago, you never would have imagined you would be working as a dispatcher in Los Angeles. You preferred helping people hands-on, which is why you became an ER nurse. It was the feeling of never knowing what was going to come charging through those doors next that excited you. But being a dispatcher gave you a whole different kind of thrill because you could only use your voice to help.</p><p>The rest of your shift flew by until you were on hour eight of your ten-hour shift. A pileup involving a semi jackknifing on the highway forced a huge collision of cars. All the units in the area along with a few on the outskirts came in to assist. It was the same call coming in multiple times, and all you could say was help was already on the way.</p><p>“911, what’s your emergency?”</p><p>“Send help,” the woman cried, telling you her address.</p><p>“Ma’am, I am going to need you to tell me what is going on?”</p><p>“A power line…a power line fell into our pool, and my daughter is trapped on her unicorn floaty in the water. I don’t…I don’t know what to do.”</p><p>“Stay calm, ma’am. My name is YN, and I’m dispatching a unit to your home now.” You switched lines to the highway accident, getting on a line with Captain Danvers from Station 107, who was sending three individuals to the scene right away. You switched back to the caller. “Okay, I will need you to stay calm. What is your daughter’s name?”</p><p>“Morgan, she’s five years old.”</p><p>“Please, whatever you do, make sure Morgan stays on the floaty because it is protecting her from the water. There is a good chance the power line is sending more than 5000 volts through the water.”</p><p>“Okay, okay, I can do that, “ the mother breathed. “Honey, please stay on the tube.”</p><p>“I'm going to try to get in contact with the power company to turn it off.” You looked up the power company in the area, and someone slid next to you. You glance over, seeing Bruce get to work on calling the power company. You nodded at him, staying on the line with the mom. “Ma’am, has help arrived yet?”</p><p>“No, but I can hear the sirens.” You peeked at Bruce, but he shook his head, still trying to get a hold of the power company. “They are coming through the back gate now.”</p><p>“Ma’am, can you hand the phone to one of the firemen?” You bit your lip, studying the layout of their home on one of your monitors. There were flowers all over their backyard, and you got an idea. </p><p>“Hello, this is Fireman Rogers.”</p><p>“Hi, Fireman Rogers. This is 9-1-1 dispatcher, YN, how is it looking there?”</p><p>“Well, on the drive-in, we saw that a truck hit the power line pole, which caused the pole to fall into the pool. The driver isn’t in any serious condition, but one of our EMT’s is looking him over,” he informed in a deep voice. “Then, we have a pool vibrating with energy, but I assume you already know that part.”</p><p>“Do you have a plan in place? We are still trying to get a hold of the power company.”</p><p>“There are a few more floaties by the pool. I could ride one over to Morgan and pull her to safety?”</p><p>“Really? Where did you get that from the macho man handbook?”</p><p>“I don’t think that book exists, YN,” he added, making you scoff.</p><p>“I may have an idea.” You narrowed your eyes, playing out the idea in your head. </p><p>“What did you have in mind?”</p><p>“I can view the whole home on one of my monitors, and there are a ton of flowers. So, I can only assume a garden hose must be nearby.”</p><p>“Yup, I see it.”</p><p>“Okay, perfect. Grab the hose and cut off the metal ends; it's rubber, so it won't conduct electricity. Then, have you and another fireman take the hose and walk along the opposite sides of the pool. Have Morgan grab ahold of it and carefully pull her back to the edge."</p><p>“That’s genius, YN. Thanks for your help,” he acknowledged, making you crack a side smile. Few people said thank you in this job, but when they did, you appreciated it. “Here’s your phone back, ma’am.”</p><p>Morgan’s mother's breath was shaky and staggered through the phone. She was scared and had every right to be. If you were in that situation, you would be, too. “Oh my god, it’s working. It’s working,” the mother shouted into your ear. “Are you okay, honey? Are you hurt?”</p><p>“I am okay, Mommy,” Morgan replied before the phone line went dead.</p><p>You smiled at yourself in one of the now blank screens. It was these moments why you loved what you were doing; a happy ending. Some calls never get a happy ending, but when they do, those are the ones you try to remember when a stressful call comes in.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Steve POV</em>
  <b>
    <br/>
  </b>
</p>
<p>“The 911 operator I was talking to had this great idea to use the hose to pull the little girl across the water to get her out of the pool,” Steve reminisced, sitting at the big island in the kitchen watching Sam cook.</p>
<p>“Dude, I was there, remember,” Sam replied.  “And hasn’t it been like a week since that happened?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but it was such a clever idea. I didn’t even know they could see the whole house on their monitors.”</p>
<p>“Who cares! It’s probably some fancy technology not available on the market yet, but if I'm hearing this correctly, it sounds like she popped Stevie’s dispatcher cherry,” Bucky joked behind him.</p>
<p>Steve peeked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at Bucky. “My what cherry?”</p>
<p>“You know when you talk to a dispatcher on the phone while on scene. Danvers takes those calls most of the time, but every once in a blue moon, one of us takes it.” Bucky wiggled his eyebrows. “Who was the operator?”</p>
<p>“Um...YN.”</p>
<p>“Oh, my sister,” Thor announced in a deep voice, patting him on the shoulder and taking the stool next to him. “She is very intelligent.”</p>
<p>“Wait, you have a sister?” Steve asked, widening his eyes at him.</p>
<p>“I have two sisters, while one half-sister, but we don’t talk about her because she’s the worst,” Thor answered with pursed lips. “YN is the best though, I like to think she got the brains, I got the brawn, and well, I guess, that makes Loki the beaut of the family.” He nodded with a half shrug. </p>
<p>“Are we still talking about how Rogers popped his dispatcher cherry,” Carol smirked, walking into the kitchen with Valkyrie. Steve felt his face heat up as he tried to say something, but she held her hand up. “It’s okay! Everyone remembers their first time,” She winked, forcing him to shake his head.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay. I get it.” Steve held up his hands in surrender, trying to hide the blush on his face.</p>
<p>_____________</p>
<p>You swiveled back and forth in your chair, waiting for the next call to come in. You had a half-hour left of your twelve-hour shift, and you needed a girls' night out. Living with your brother and Darryl was both a blessing and a curse. They offered you a place to stay, rent-free when you first moved here, but the amount of testosterone in that house was sometimes too much for you to handle. You tapped your fingers on your desk when your line started ringing. You sat up, letting out a deep breath, and pressed the spacebar.</p>
<p>“911, what’s your emergency?”</p>
<p>“Hello,” a male voice replied.</p>
<p>“How can I help you?”</p>
<p>“I’m making a turkey and was wondering what the internal temperature has to be?”</p>
<p>“You do know it’s against the law to call with a fake emergency, right?”</p>
<p>“Yes, but this is an emergency.”</p>
<p>“No, it’s not, so get off my line.” You hung up the line, shaking your head. Right away, another call came through, and you answered it. </p>
<p>“911, what’s your emergency?” </p>
<p>“Hi, hello. My friends are trapped in the elevator. The elevator must have snapped or something because there was this loud bang.”</p>
<p>“Where are you calling from?”</p>
<p>“The Natural History Museum. Please hurry!”</p>
<p>____________</p>
<p>Steve sat in his unassigned assigned spot at the dining table, eating a late lunch with the team. It was the cardinal rule at Station 107: Work as a team and eat as a family. Steve never thought he'd be able to find another firehouse he enjoyed working at, considering his previous teammates and friends at his old one. He hated leaving them behind, but he needed a fresh start, and so far, Station 107 was the best second home he could ask for. </p>
<p>Everyone brought something to the team as every firehouse did.  Captain Danvers, or Ace as she preferred to be called in the field, brought her confidence and experience, which made for a great leader they could trust and rely on. Thor had his strength and his bravery, but he did have an ego. Sam was a great motivator and could keep everyone on task while still cracking jokes. It was no wonder Sam was the head EMT at this firehouse. Valkyrie was a badass and wasn’t afraid to put people in their place. As for Bucky, Steve knew he would always be there for him till the end of the line. </p>
<p>The loud alarm blaring throughout the firehouse pulled Steve out of his stupor. Everyone knew what that sound meant, and they were ready to tackle whatever it might be. One after another, they slid down the firepole, pulled on their gear, and hopped in the truck, heading towards the scene. It wasn’t unusual to take calls that didn’t involve fire because whoever could get there the fastest was better than no one showing up at all. </p>
<p>Thor hopped behind the driver's seat of the fire engine, pulling out of the garage. Carol sat beside him, giving him directions while speaking with the dispatcher through her headset. The sirens were wailing with Val and Sam behind them in the ambulance. </p>
<p>“Alright, boys. We got an elevator crash at the Natural History Museum,” Carol said into her helmet mic after speaking with dispatch. “Dispatch says three students and their pregnant teacher are inside.”</p>
<p>“What’s the plan, Ace?” Steve asked into his helmet mic, concealing the siren blaring in the background. </p>
<p>“I have contacted the museum's elevator technician, and he has already locked and tagged the power on the cars. The car sits near the basement level, so we will approach from the top in the lobby. I want Thor on the winch…”</p>
<p>“Ahh---what,” Thor interrupted her.</p>
<p>“Calm down, big guy, you can have the next one.” She gave him the side-eye, making the rest of the crew chuckle. “Steve and Bucky are going to do an immediate retrieval and approach from the top. Sam and Val will set a perimeter and then treat those who come up. Then, I will help with the retrieval, and Thor with the winch,” she stated with the last part dripping in sarcasm.</p>
<p>“It still hurts,” Thor added, taking a right at the intersection.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once on-site, everyone grabbed their gear and took their positions.  Steve and Bucky strapped on their harnesses and helmets, switching on the flashlight. They started scaling down the elevator shaft from the lobby as Thor lowered them on the winch with the retrieving rope.</p>
<p>“How we looking, Steve?”</p>
<p>“Sexy, but not like we are trying too hard, but it’s more kind of effortless.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, I mean, have you seen Steve’s ass in that harness. It could be American’s Ass or more like LA’s Finest Ass,” Sam commented with a whistle, echoing in the shaft. </p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Steve landed on the top of the elevator, unhooking himself while Bucky did the same.  “I’m down and unattached.”</p>
<p>“That’s what she said,” Carol responded with her head appearing in the shaft.</p>
<p>Thor chuckled, shaking his head. “Classic.”</p>
<p>Steve rolled his eyes and used his other flashlight to find the hatch on top of the elevator. He unclipped the lock, opening the hatch door, seeing the top of the lights. “I’m Fireman Rogers, please move towards the buttons. I’m going to kick the light out, so we can get you out of there.” It took a few kicks, but once it fell through, a few faces peeked up at him.  “How are we doing in there?”</p>
<p>“Oh my god, thank god, you’re here. I thought we were gonna die,” one of the kids replied, clutching his phone in his hand.</p>
<p>“Calm down, Flash. Everything is fine,” the pregnant woman reassured. “Right?” She looked up at Steve with worried filled eyes, and he nodded.</p>
<p>“Watch out, I'm coming down.” Steve crawled down into the hatch, and Bucky passed him the spare harness.  “Ma’am, you’re going up first, but first we need to get you strapped into this harness, then we’ll pull you up.” She nodded, trusting him, and allowing him to put the harness on her before Thor used the winch to pull her up.</p>
<p>“Okay, boys, who's going to go next?”</p>
<p>“I’m next,” the one they called Flash stated.</p>
<p>“Okay, then, how about you with the cool hat.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, it gives me confidence,” the kid smiled.</p>
<p>“And then, you,” Steve pointed to the kid wearing a Midtown School of Science and Technology shirt.</p>
<p>“Um...yeah--” he nodded a little too much. “--Yeah...I can go last. Get everyone else to safety first.”</p>
<p>“Perfect.” Steve clapped his hands together. “Let’s do this.”</p>
<p>___________</p>
<p>It turned out to be a quick rescue, and no one suffered any major injuries. Steve took some gear out to the truck and started repacking it when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He turned around, noticing the kid in the Midtown School of Science and Technology shirt wrapped in an ambulance blanket. </p>
<p>“What can I do for you, kid?”</p>
<p>“Peter. Peter Parker. I’m...I’m Peter Parker.” He held out his hand, and Steve shook it. “I just wanted to say thank you...thank you for saving my teacher and my friends back there. We’re on our school trip from New York, and this was an adrenaline rush experience.” Peter held up his hand, and Steve noticed it shaking.</p>
<p>He chuckled. “It will wear off.”</p>
<p>“It felt like that opening scene of that old action movie. Where John Wick saves those people that were trapped in the elevator after the bad guy tried to blow them up with a bomb. They don’t catch him obviously because it’s the opening scene, but later he puts the bomb on the bus, and that Bird Box lady has to keep driving like fifty-five miles an hour, or the bus will blow up.”</p>
<p>“I know the one. I think you’re thinking of Speed, but I don’t think it’s that old.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, that one,” he chuckled, pointing his finger at him. “It’s kind of old, I mean you’re kind of old, so it’s kind of old to you, but to me, it’s kind of new because I’m not that old.” He rambled on, his eyes widening, realizing what he was saying. </p>
<p>“Peter, come on. The museum is going to show us some never before seen stuff because we almost died,” the kid with the cool hat shouted from across the street. </p>
<p>“Coming, Ned,” he yelled back. “Thanks again, Fireman Rogers, and sorry about calling you old. I didn’t...”</p>
<p>“It’s okay, kid, I’m just glad you’re safe.”</p>
<p>Steve watched Peter run back over to his friends with a smile on his face. It was these moments when he loved his job, watching friends and families reunite after a tragedy. It was these moments where he felt like it could almost fix what he lost. </p>
<p>______________</p>
<p>You sighed, taking a seat at your usual spot at the end of the bar in Happy’s Hydrant. Happy noticed you right away and smiled, giving you a bottle of beer. You thanked him with a nod, taking a sip, and scanning the crowd. It wasn’t unusual to spot a familiar face, considering this bar was created for the heroes of Los Angeles. It welcomed all those members who served or are currently serving as first responders, but civilians were welcome, too. It’s nice to have a place to go with people you could relate to and share similar experiences with after working a twelve or twenty-four-hour shift. They understand what we go through on a day to day basis. It was one of the many reasons Happy Hogan wanted to open this bar after he retired from his Fire Chief position at Station 12.</p>
<p>You swiveled back and forth on your bar stool until someone familiar on the other end of the bar caught your eye. You stopped moving, your eyes not wavering from the man. Your mouth went dry, hearing your heartbeat thumping in your ears. You gulped, feeling your palms start to tingle as the muscles in your legs start to tighten. Every nerve in your body was firing, telling you to run, but it felt like if you moved an inch, he would see you, and these past three months would’ve been for nothing. He glanced your way for a brief moment, and relief flooded your whole body. You relaxed, squeezing your eyes shut as you took a few deep breaths in and out. It wasn’t him. </p>
<p>The weight of someone touching your shoulder makes you jump off your bar stool, and turn around to see one of the ladies you were waiting for.  “Hey, it’s only me.” Carol held up her hands in surrender, giving you a reassuring smile. “Sorry, I forgot how jumpy you can be.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay. Lost in my head again.” You nodded, returning to your barstool.</p>
<p>“Thanks for giving my transfer a chance to be the shining star of my squad last week.” She nudged your side, flagging down Happy for a drink.</p>
<p>“Your what...with what,” you asked, narrowing your eyes at her. </p>
<p>“The pool, the hose, the little girl stranded on a floaty with the water electrified. Ringing any bells?”</p>
<p>“Ohhh, right. That one.” You took a sip of your beer. “Fireman Rhodes or was it Ronin?”</p>
<p>“Rogers. Steve Rogers.” You pointed the neck of your beer bottle at her and nodded. “You made quite an impression on him. He can’t stop talking about it, and it’s getting really annoying, but I guess you did pop his dispatcher cherry.” She nudged your side with an ever-growing smile on her face. You rolled your eyes at her, shaking your head. “And if single you is interested, I am sure he is willing to mingle. At least, if you’re into that sort of thing.”</p>
<p>“I’m not ready to start dating. I’m still trying to find myself after going through a terrible six-year marriage.” You gave her a half shrug, eyeing the bar. “When I am ready to date again, all I want is a nice guy.”</p>
<p>“Steve’s nice.  Hey, you should swing by one day before your shift and meet him,” she winked, and you scoffed, rolling your eyes. </p>
<p>“I haven’t even filed for divorce yet.”</p>
<p>“Wait--” she turned on her stool to face you “--hasn’t it been three months? Why not?”</p>
<p>“I don’t want him knowing where I am.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t he know where Thor lives?”</p>
<p>“No,” you sighed, shaking your head. “Let's just say he didn’t take much interest in my life while we were together. Besides, I don’t think he'd think I’d go to Thor with how everything turned out the last time I went to him for help.</p>
<p>“What an asshole.” She rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her beer, and you nodded.  “Well, at least you know you have an admirer,” she added, making you scoff.</p>
<p>“Hey ladies, sorry I’m late,” Natasha greeted, taking the other stool next to you. “Clint and I checked out this noise complaint a neighbor called in. And it turns out this guy was serenading his ex-girlfriend with hopes to win her back. It was this whole thing, and we wanted to stick around to see what happened next.” </p>
<p>“So what happened,” Carol asked with curious eyes, wearing a mischievous smirk on her face.</p>
<p>“It was crazy.” She shook her head, letting out a breathy chuckle. “She came down and punched him in the face. Apparently, this dude cheated on her with, wait for it--” she drummed her hands on the bar countertop “--her brother. It was a twist I didn’t see coming, but talk about drama on duty. Sometimes I think it would be easier fighting fires or answering phones all day.”</p>
<p>“Oh please, Nat, you wouldn’t last a day. You would miss seeing the excitement first hand. Over the phone, you don’t get much excitement,” you replied.</p>
<p>“Speak for yourself,” Carol added, taking a swig of her beer. “You would love my job, Nat. You get to boss men around.”</p>
<p>“I kind of do that already. Besides, I don’t think I could leave Clint. He’d be lost without me,” she smirked, signaling Happy to make her a martini.</p>
<p>Natasha oozed confidence, which came off as intimidating to most women. When she walked into a room, all eyes were on her, but it was attention she chose to ignore. When men would buy her drinks, she'd take it to another lovely lady. Nat was all about lifting and empowering women to feel confident in their own skin. She wasn’t afraid to tell people to back off or shut up. She was the role model you wish you had when you were with him, then maybe you would've had the confidence and courage to leave sooner. </p>
<p>“Here you are, Nat?” Happy pushed the martini glass to her. “Are you ladies still good?” He asked, pointing to the drinks in front of you.  </p>
<p>“Yeah, we’re good. Thanks, Happy,” you smiled at him as he walked away, shooting you a thumbs up. </p>
<p>“How is apartment hunting going, YN?” Nat asked, taking a sip of her martini.</p>
<p>“Good, I found this cute little condo a few blocks away from work. It has a modern feel to it, but I think it would be perfect for me,” you described. “I loved it when I saw the pictures. The landlord is out of town right now, but she told me it’s mine if I want it.”</p>
<p>“I’m so excited for you,” Nat squealed, squeezing your forearm. “You need to get out of that testosterone-filled house and get on your own two feet again.”</p>
<p>“Yes, you do,” Carol agreed. “What’s your softie older brother going to think of you leaving?”</p>
<p>“I’m going to have to break it to him slowly.”</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading part 2! I hope you all are liking it so far! If you caught it there was a quote from Brooklyn 99 that I thought was too good not to put in! 😂 Also, Darryl Jacobson, if you don't remember him, he was Thor's roommate in those Marvel shorts. I thought he would be a fun and entertaining addition to this story! Also, any ideas as to why Steve left his old firehouse? Did you enjoy the little Peter Parker cameo? And what do you think Thor is going to think of her moving it? Comments always welcome, thanks again for reading! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After much convincing from Carol and Nat the other day, you decided to go to the firehouse to meet this Steve face to face.  It wasn’t unusual for you to stop by the firehouse, but you thought making a batch of your mom’s to die for chocolate chip cookies would give you more of a motive. You didn’t want to go, but it would shut Nat and Carol up for a while. </p><p>Walking into Station 107 Fire and Rescue’s garage, your eyes traveled to the second story loft overlooking the ambulance and the trucks. It was a cozy, warm space that had all the amenities of home. On one side of the loft was the kitchen with barn red walls, modern cabinets, and a huge fridge. On the other side was a living room filled with oversized couches, a flatscreen connected to a gaming system, and a pool table. A dining table sat in the middle separating both spaces in the large open area while exposed wooden beams hung from the ceiling. There was a hallway that led to the two dormitories towards the back of the compound. And below the loft were their lockers, gear storage, showers, and a small gym. </p><p>A guy jumping out of one of the trucks makes you stop in place. He had broad, muscular shoulders and a small waist any girl would want to wrap their arms around. You knew everyone at this firehouse, so you could only suspect this man to be Steve. He shot you a quick glance your way, noticing the ever-growing stubble on his face, before closing the truck door and coming over to you. Nat and Carol were right; he was a good looking fella. He was someone you could’ve easily fallen for, but you didn’t think like that anymore. Hell, back then, you would’ve already had your kid's names picked out without even saying two words to him.</p><p>“Hi ma’am, can I help you?” He raised an eyebrow, wiping his hands on a rag.</p><p>“Is Thor around?”</p><p>“Oh, ah, you didn’t hear,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this--” he ran his hand through his hair, looking everywhere but at you “--but he passed away last week on a call saving a kid.”</p><p>“Oh, no. No, no, no,” you gasped, shaking your head. You covered your hand over your mouth to hide the smile appearing on your face. Steve had no idea who you were, so might as well play a little game.  </p><p>“I’m sorry. Afraid not, ma’am,” he sighed. “It was a shock to us all.” </p><p>“Then, what about the baby?” You placed your hand on your stomach. “Am I going to have to do this on my own?” You glanced back up at him, and his eyes went wide, not sure how to answer this.</p><p>“A baby?” You covered your hands over your face and let out a fake sob. “I’m sorry, ma’am. He...um...he didn’t die. It’s a thing he wants all of us to say to the girls who come looking for him.”</p><p>You uncover your eyes, staring at him for a brief moment until you shake your head at your brother’s orders. “He told you to tell them this? That he died?” </p><p>“Yes?” he said, coming out more like a question than a statement. </p><p>“Poor girls, well not all poor because they should’ve known better,” you sighed, letting out an annoyed breath. “I’m going to have to talk to my asshole brother for this.” </p><p>“Wait...uh...are you YN?”</p><p>“Yes. Do I know you?” You narrowed your eyes at him, eyeing him over. </p><p>“Yeah...I mean no...at least not officially, but you helped me like a week or so ago on a call.”</p><p>“Sorry, I take like two hundred calls a shift sometimes. It’s hard to remember which one is which sometimes.” You shrugged, trying to not make it come off too obvious that you knew the one he was referring to.</p><p>“Right, sorry. It was the call with the electric pool. You told me to use…”</p><p>“..the hose and pulled her across,” you finished. “Oh right, right. That must make you Fireman Rogers, then.” You held out your hand, and he shook it with his cleaner hand.</p><p>“Please, call me Steve.” You nodded. “It was a great idea you came up with. You’re a real hero.”</p><p>“Ahh...thanks. It comes with the territory,” you answered, rubbing your hands together. “We try to save as many as we can, sometimes that doesn’t mean everyone, but we got to try, right.”</p><p>“Absolutely,” he nodded, eyeing you over. “Thor went to grab groceries with Val, but you’re more than welcome to wait upstairs in the loft.” He pointed over his shoulder before resting his hands on his belt, making his biceps double in size.</p><p>“No, it’s okay. I have to get to work, but I’ll give these to you.” You hand him the container, and he opens it, licking his lips. “Made them yesterday and figured I would drop a container off here since Thor was eyeing them.”</p><p>“Thanks,” he chuckled, snapping the lid back on. “They look good.”</p><p>“I would try at least one because they go pretty darn fast.”</p><p>“I’ll take that into consideration.” He nodded, holding up the container to you. “It was nice meeting you, YN.”</p><p>“You too, Steve.” </p><p>“WHOA, YN! Is that you girl,” Sam shouted from the balcony. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>“Dropping off some cookies,” you shouted back, covering your hands around your mouth. </p><p>His eyes widened, sprinting to one of the staircases on the side of the loft. He came up behind Steve and yanked the container out of Steve’s hands. Steve narrowed his eyes, watching Sam open it and take a big whiff of them.</p><p>“Man, Steve, you don’t know what you just gave up? I ain't sharing these with nobody.” He opened the container, grabbed a cookie out, and took a bite out of it, letting out a satisfied sound. Steve tried to grab one, but Sam shut the lid on his fingers. “Nope!” He shot daggers at Steve, but then he looked back at you with a gap-tooth grin on his face. “Thank you, YN, you’re the best.”</p><p>“Sam, you should at least give Steve one, since he has never had them before.”</p><p>“I guess you do have a point there.” He pointed his cookie at you, then at Steve before taking another bite, mulling over the idea. “Fine, just one…well half of one.”</p><p>Steve slowly reached in and grabbed half of a cookie and took a bite. His eyes shot to you, and he nodded his head. “Wow, these are incredible.” </p><p>“Thanks.” You shot him a small smile. “I should get going, but I will see you, gentlemen, later.” </p><p>“Safe travels, YN,” Sam waved.</p><p>“Have a good day at work,” Steve added with a side smirk.</p><p>You turned around and started for the door only to see Carol walk in. Upon seeing you, Carol’s mouth twitched into a knowing smirk as her eyes drifted from you and Steve. </p><p>“I see you came and checked out the new transfer,” Carol winked, wiggling her eyebrows at you. </p><p>“No,” you replied. “I dropped off some cookies.”</p><p>“Good cover.” she nodded. “What do you think?”</p><p>“Yeah, sure, he seems nice, but I am..”</p><p>“...not looking for a relationship...yatta yatta yatta,” she finished for you. “It doesn’t have to be a relationship, you know.” </p><p>“Wow. Yup, you went there.”</p><p>“Of course I did, besides the way his eyes are traveling over you tells me he would be ready to mingle with you.” </p><p>You peeked over your shoulder, noticing he wasn’t even looking at you. He was still talking to Sam, but his eyes flashed to yours for a brief moment. You turned back to Carol and narrowed your eyes at her.  </p><p>“Well look at that, now he knows you're interested.” She teased, making you scoff. “Peace out.” She patted you on the shoulder, walking past you. You watch her retreat past Sam and Steve, grabbing the cookies from Sam, forcing a frown to his features. </p><p>Steve watched you walk out the door and popped the other half of the cookie into his mouth. He dusted the cookie crumbs on his pants, and Sam punched Steve on the bicep. “Ow, man. What was that for?”</p><p>“She’s cute, right?” Sam asked, shooting him a wink. </p><p>“Yeah, smart, too,” he nodded, turning around to head up to the loft with Sam. “Does she know everyone in the firehouse?”</p><p>“She sure does.” Sam nodded. “YN moved here about three months ago. I know it had something to do with her ex, but I didn’t want to pry. Not my business, but she showed up in a very fragile state.” Sam shook his head at the memory.</p><p>“She doesn’t seem that way now,” Steve added, catching the glint in Sam’s eye.</p><p>“Yeah, she’s getting better, man. Thor got her a job, and she always comes by bringing cookies when she can. She’s the best.” Sam smirked. “Why are you interested in Thor’s sister?” He nudged Steve in the arm. </p><p>“What...no...I was just curious.”</p><p>“Okay, we’ll call it that for now,” Sam grinned, showing off the gap in his teeth. </p><p>____</p><p>Steve sat on the couch re-reading one of his favorites. He glanced up, shaking his head to see Sam and Bucky bickering about who ate all the peanut butter but put the empty container back in the cabinet.</p><p>“The strongest firefighter has returned bearing groceries,” Thor announced, walking up the steps with both his arms full of groceries. “Two trips are for the weak.”</p><p>“We get it, Blondie,” Valkyrie grumbled behind him, carrying groceries as well.</p><p>“Did you get more peanut butter?” Sam asked, giving Bucky the stink eye.</p><p>“Yes,” Val replied. “But, you can only have it if you help put groceries away.”</p><p>It was like a silent ritual, gathering around and helping put groceries away. It was also the chance to see what they would be eating for the next week or a few days, depending on how long it would last. Everyone always put in a request to what they wanted, but depending who was on groceries for the week would determine if they were nice enough to pick it up.</p><p>“Here’s Steve’s old man food,” Sam smirked, handing him his oatmeal. Steve couldn’t hide his small smirk as he grabbed it and put it in the cupboard. </p><p>“At least I’m not eating your peanut butter.”</p><p>“What the hell, Steve?” Bucky narrowed his eyes. “I thought you were on my side for this.”</p><p>“I’m not getting in the middle of it,” Steve held up his hands as he continued to put groceries away.</p><p>“Thor, again. Why all the Poptarts?” Sam asked, pulling three boxes from one of the bags.</p><p>“New flavors, duh!”</p><p>“You know Thor loves his Poptarts; honestly, I think they taste like cardboard,” Val remarked, pulling out her energy drinks. </p><p>“No, they don’t! You're being ridiculous. They have the same flavor as the box says. You want a hot fudge sundae without the brain freeze; have a Poptart. Want s'mores, but don’t want the sticky mess; have a Poptart. It’s crazy the amount of flavors they have.” He looked down at a box with a child-like smile on his face.  </p><p>“A woman stopped by looking for you,” Steve added, shutting one of the cabinet doors.</p><p>“Did you give her the usual charade?” Thor asked, folding the reusable grocery bags. </p><p>“About how you passed away saving a child in the fire?”</p><p>“Dude, why are you still going on with that charade? It’s awful,”  Bucky added, only to get ignored. </p><p>“Raging fire, did you say raging fire?” Steve nodded. “Good man,” Thor grinned, pointing his finger at him. “How’d she take it?” </p><p>“She was upset but doesn’t know what to do about the baby now.” Thor’s mouth dropped open. “She’s in the bathroom now.”</p><p>“Told you to keep that sword in your pants, pirate angel,” Val grunted, hitting him on the bicep. </p><p>“Ow...well, I’m sorry, Val,” Thor shouted with sarcasm. “What you...you just let her stay? What did she look like?”</p><p>Carol came out of the bathroom, and Thor stared at her. “What?” Everyone started laughing, forcing Thor to chuckle along and shake his head. </p><p>“Haha, you guys got me. Hilarious you guys, really.”</p><p>“Your sister did stop by though,” Steve said, opening a bag of blueberries.</p><p>“Was she okay? What did she say?” Thor rushed out. All the giddiness from his eyes changed to something more serious. </p><p>“Um, nothing serious, dropped off some cookies. There on the counter next to all the other tokens of appreciation and cards we get from people.” Steve pointed over his shoulder. </p><p>“Ooooo, yes.” He rubbed his hands together, going over to grab one, but took the lid off, lifting the empty container upside down. “Really? Come on, she’s my sister. I deserved at least one.” </p><p>“Well, she must like us better,” Sam mentioned, taking a bite of the last cookie.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading Part 3. She finally met Steve officially, but will this put a stop to Nat and Carol pestering her? Only time will tell...haha! Any guesses on who is eating Sam’s peanut butter? Do you think it’s Bucky or someone else? And I thought it felt necessary to give a little nod to the first Thor, and have his choice of snack be Poptarts...haha! And finally, the whole layout of this firehouse is very similar to Station 118 firehouse on the show 9-1-1. I just love the whole loft and rustic flair to it, but you can imagine it however you want!!  Anywho, thanks for reading, comments, and kudos always welcome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After dropping off cookies at the firehouse, you were ready to tackle another twelve-hour shift. Your morning was off to a good start, and you hoped it would stay that way.</p>
<p>“911, what’s your emergency?”</p>
<p>“I am at the JCPenney in the Westfield Culver City mall, and this employee is refusing to honor my coupon.”</p>
<p>“Do you really think this is an emergency, ma’am?</p>
<p>“Yes, I want to use my coupon, but this high school dude, who calls himself Brad, says he won’t give me the deal.”</p>
<p>“That’s because it’s expired, ma’am,” Brad stated loud enough for you to hear. </p>
<p>“Sounds like your coupon is expired. You should probably take this up with the company and not complain to dispatchers, who are trying to save people from life and death situations. Goodbye, and good luck with the coupon.” You hung up the phone, covering your hands over your eyes and shaking your head.</p>
<p>“Bad call?” You looked over at the voice to see Bruce smirking at you.</p>
<p>“More like a ridiculous call about an expired coupon.”</p>
<p>“People can be terrible sometimes.”</p>
<p>“You got that right,” you replied, earning a chuckle from Bruce as he continued to make rounds to the booths.</p>
<p>Bruce was in charge of your call center, having been promoted from a dispatcher, but he still took calls from time to time. He was the one that offered you a job after Thor talked to him, and you were on the other end listening to the entire conversation, similar to when a parent would call and ask someone if they were hiring because you were too scared to do it yourself. During your training, you got to listen to a few calls he took, and it was crazy how calm and reassuring he was in such a high-stress situation. How did he do it? You still have no idea. </p>
<p>Nearing the end of your shift, you were excited about going home, eating a hot meal, and heading off to bed. Twelve-hour shifts were long and exhausting, but it’s what came with the job. You stretched your hands over your head when an incoming call popped up on one of your computer screens. </p>
<p>“911, what’s your emergency?” The line remained silent, but you could hear breathing. “Is everything okay? Hello.”</p>
<p>“My--my ex...,” she whispered, mumbling something you couldn’t quite understand.</p>
<p>“Ma’am, I’m going to need you to speak up? Where are you?”</p>
<p>“My--my ex. He’s trying to break into my apartment,” her voice cracked. “He’s not allowed to come around me anymore. I have a restraining order against him.”</p>
<p>You gulped, trying to stay focused and calm. “Can you tell me where you are?”</p>
<p>“1170 Chip Avenue in Torrance. I’m in the Seascape Apartments room 507.”</p>
<p>You contacted a squad unit in the area, and they were in route. “I have units on the way. Everything is going to be fine.”</p>
<p>“How do you know? He wasn’t even supposed to be able to find me,” she cried. “I don’t even know what to do if….” A loud banging noise interrupted her, and she screamed.</p>
<p>“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay? What’s your name?”</p>
<p>“Krista...Krista Dumont.”</p>
<p>“Krista, my name is YN. Now, I want you to go into your bedroom, lock the door, and find something to barricade it. Then, wait for the police to arrive.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she sniffled, shuffling around. “Door is locked and….” A loud noise broke out over the line, and Krista’s breathing increased. </p>
<p>“Krista, what happened?”</p>
<p>“He’s um...Jimbo’s in my apartment. What if--” her voice cracked “--what if he gets into my room, and he...he….”</p>
<p>“Authorities are close.” You glanced at one of the screens, recognizing the squad car number to be Clint and Natasha. “Remain calm for me, okay?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know...he’s gonna….he’s gonna hurt me like before.”</p>
<p>“OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR, KRISTA,” Jimbo shouted, pounding hard on the door. “I just want to talk to you.”</p>
<p>You gulped, letting out a shaky breath. “Don’t listen to him. Keep the door closed, and stay where you are. Help is almost there.”</p>
<p>“GO AWAY, JIMBO,” she yelled, hearing his name crack in her voice.</p>
<p>“FINE, if you don’t want to do this the easy way, I guess I'll have to do it the hard way.” You heard a loud bashing sound and grunts. </p>
<p>Krista sobbed over the line. “I can’t...I can’t keep doing this.” </p>
<p>“Don’t give up. Hang in there. Everything will be okay.” You heard sirens over the phone, but you couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief yet. A big crashing sound came over the phone, and you knew he got to her.</p>
<p>“GET AWAY FROM ME,” she pleaded with him as you heard different objects crashing to the floor in all the commotion. The other line became static almost like the call was breaking up, but it cleared up, realizing she must have dropped her phone. </p>
<p>“COME HERE, YOU DUMB BITCH,” he grunted, and she screamed again, forcing goosebumps to your skin. “You think you can just leave me. Did you not think I would find you? I know you better than you know yourself.”</p>
<p>“Police, drop the weapon and let the young lady go,” Clint stated in his police voice. No one was holding the phone or even knew you were there. You were like a fly on the wall, and all you could do was listen. </p>
<p>“If you take one more step, I will slice her throat. If I’m going down, she is coming with me.”</p>
<p>“Whoa, whoa, big guy. No need to hurt anyone here.” You paged an ambulance to the scene in case something did happen. “How about we try and come to an understanding?”</p>
<p>“Hell no, she’s mine and will always be.” You could hear Krista crying, and then in one quick moment, you heard a gunshot, glass breaking, and a high pitched scream before the line cut off. You squeezed your eyes shut, taking off your headset, and walking to the nearest exit. This call hit too close to home, and you couldn’t handle it. </p>
<p>It’s only been three months, but at times, it still feels like you haven’t made any progress. Little details would remind you of him every single day: hearing a certain song, smelling his favorite food, or walking past someone that smelled like him. No matter how much time and effort you put into leaving the past behind, memories of him lurked in the shadows. Everyone tells you everything will get better with time. It was always about time, time to recover, time to forget, and time to start over. No one has ever given you a straight answer about how much time it takes, and there were days you wish they knew.  </p>
<p>You leaned against the brick wall outside your building, trying to slow your racing heart. You took a deep breath hoping it would calm your mind, but it offered little to no reassurance. Scenarios started to play out over and over in your head of what would happen when he finds you. You got out like Krista. You escaped his controlling and abusive behavior, but right now, it felt like it didn't matter.</p>
<p>A hand on your shoulder makes you jump away from it and turn around to find Bruce. “I’m sorry. Are you doing okay, YN?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m fine.” You waved it off. “Did I do something wrong?”</p>
<p>“No, not at all. You're doing a great job, but I'm concerned. You seem almost skittish after that last call,” he observed, furrowing his brows together. “This job can be stressful, and I want you to know we have resources available if you’re having a hard time dealing with the stress. There is no shame in asking for help.”</p>
<p>“I know. It’s not the job per se, well right now it is, but…” you sniffled, taking a seat on the bench right next to the building. </p>
<p>Bruce stood still, contemplating what to do before sitting down next to you. “Call hit close to home?”</p>
<p>“You don’t know the half of it,” you breathed, wringing your hands together. </p>
<p>“I'm not sure if you're aware, but Thor told me why you left New York. I didn’t need an explanation when he called asking if I had a job opening, but he blurted it out. It was private information that he didn’t need to share, so I’m sorry about that, but I want you to know I understand.” </p>
<p>“Thanks, but it’s okay, Bruce.” You nodded at him. “Do you know what happened to her…to Krista?”</p>
<p>“Do you want to know?” Bruce asked, worry etching his features.</p>
<p>“Yes and no.”</p>
<p>Bruce sighed, biting his lip as he thought it over. “During the struggle, Natasha was able to get a shot off and get Jimbo in the neck, but it wasn’t enough, and he ended up pulling her with him out the window. They both hit the ground and were pronounced dead at the scene.” He placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “I’m sorry.”</p>
<p>“I tried, right?” You teared up, wiping at your nose. “It’s all a part of the job.”</p>
<p>Bruce wasn’t much of the sentimental type, but you were okay with that. He always seemed unsure of himself, but every time he put on that headset, he became a whole different person. He could be playing Tetrix and tell a person how to give CPR in extreme detail and save a life. He's an amazing dispatcher on the phone, but in person, it was like he didn’t know how to assure someone it would be okay.</p>
<p>“I’ll be okay, Bruce,” you smirked at him.</p>
<p>“I know you will, but why don’t you leave a little early today.” You nodded at him, standing up to leave. “YN, one more thing, you should talk to someone about what you went through. Trust me, it will help you more than you think.”</p>
<p>“I’ll think about it. Thanks, Bruce.” </p>
<p>_________</p>
<p>You have never been able to confide in someone you barely knew, like a therapist or a support group, so that’s how you ended up at your brother’s firehouse. You sat in your car, waiting for the tears to dry up and your eyes to brighten up.</p>
<p>Thor could always find a way to make you feel better, but unlike Loki, he was one of those people that didn’t believe you at first when you told him about what your husband did to you. It’s not like Thor didn’t confront him about it, but your husband was persuasive and manipulative. To the outside world looking in, we were the perfect couple, and he was a good man that supported his wife. But on the inside, we were anything but perfect. </p>
<p>Thor defended him when you mentioned it to him again and insisted it must’ve been an accident. After that, you never asked him for anything until you showed up at his apartment three months ago with a busted lip, black eye, and bruised ribs. On the other hand, Loki wanted you out of that relationship right from the start, but like any good girlfriend or wife, I believed him when he said he would change, but he never did. </p>
<p>You closed your eyes, letting out a deep breath. “Fuck it.” You grabbed your hat from the backseat, slipping it on, and walked through the back door of the firehouse. You heard a booming laugh and right away, knew it belonged to your brother. You made your way up the steps, seeing everyone sitting around the living room, watching Carol and Thor play a racing video game. </p>
<p>Steve lifted his coffee cup with a smirk on his face that quickly disappeared upon noticing you from the far side of the room. Whether it was the puffiness of your cheeks or your tear-filled eyes, he could tell something was off. He cleared his throat, tapping Thor on the arm.  </p>
<p>“Steve, stop, I’m finally going to beat Ace,” he growled, earning another nudge from Steve. He pressed pause, shooting Steve a harsh glare. “WHAT?” Steve nodded his head to you.</p>
<p>Thor looked over his shoulder, and his expression instantly changed. You gave everyone a small wave, rubbing your lips together while Thor stepped over Carol's legs, rushing over to you and pulling you in for a hug. You squeezed your eyes shut, silently crying into his chest. </p>
<p>“Shhh...Shhh, it’s okay.” He patted your head. “Let’s talk downstairs.” You nodded, feeling eyes on you. </p>
<p>Thor rested his arm across the back of your shoulders as you both walked down the stairs together. Once we reached the bottom, he pulled you in for another one of his bear hugs, resting his chin on top of your head. You bit your lip to hold back the tears, but it did nothing to keep them from falling. </p>
<p>He pulled away, holding you at arm's length, while you wiped away the tear-stained residue from your cheeks with your sleeve. “What happened? Did he find you? Call you again? Threaten you?” His voice was full of concern and hate, but his eyes were filled with worry. </p>
<p>“No, no. Nothing like that,” you croaked, clearing your throat. “I took a call with a woman, and her ex was--” you paused, shaking your head “--her ex was trying to break into her apartment. I told her everything was going to be okay. I told her to lock herself in her room and wait for the police, but…” your voice drifted off not wanting to remember it.</p>
<p>“I bet you did what you would’ve done. You helped her the best you could.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, but I didn’t help her. She left him, but he still found her,” you confessed, staring at the ground. “Where...where does that leave me when he finds me? Am I going to end up like...like her? Dead?"</p>
<p>“No,” Thor reassured, making you look up at him. “She doesn’t have a six-foot-three handsome older brother that has no problem kicking his ass. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”</p>
<p>“Promise is a strong word, Thor.” </p>
<p>“I know. Why do you think I said it,” he smirked, squeezing your shoulder. “Are you going to be okay?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know...I’m confused, and I don’t know if I will ever get over it. Is he going to hold me back forever? Am I ever going to get to move on and be happy?” You rub your forehead, readjusting your hat. “It’s like this one call...this one call allowed everything to rush back to me. All the memories, the pain, the fear. I feel like he’s always going to be looming over my life, and I will never get away from him.” </p>
<p>“It’s..um...it’s always going to be hard. It’s a day to day progress. I know you hear it all the time, and it sounds redundant, but it’s time. It’s a waiting game, but with time it will get easier, and memories of him will fade as you make new memories. Better memories. Don’t let this moron ruin your future when he already ruined your past.” </p>
<p>Thor wasn’t always great with words, but sometimes he surprised you. He did have a point, your husband did ruin your past, but maybe it was time to start making a better life for yourself and learn to live without him. </p>
<p>“Hey, I’m here for you, no matter how long it takes. I’m not going to push you aside like I did before. I was an idiot back then for not believing you.”</p>
<p>“You were,” you smirked, earning a silent chuckle from him. “But, he was manipulative and persuasive, and I already forgave you, Thor, so stop blaming yourself.” He nodded with a closed mouth smile. </p>
<p>“Have you called Loki?”</p>
<p>“He has a big rehearsal for his show tonight. I didn’t want him worrying about that and me,” you mumbled, not missing the left corner of Thor’s mouth twerk up. It was always a competition with your brothers. Who were you going to confide in first? </p>
<p>“Do you want to hang out for a bit,” he asked, pointing to the balcony. “Feast on some takeout, play some video games? Then after my shift tonight, we could go do something?”</p>
<p>“Sounds fun,” you nodded. “Is NoobMaster69 at you again?”</p>
<p>“Bastard always is,” he chuckled, making you crack a small smile.</p>
<p>“It’s probably Loki, pulling a fast one on you?”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t put it past him.” He narrowed his eyes at you. “Wait, do you know something?”</p>
<p>“I know nothing, big guy,” You pressed your lips together, locking it with an invisible key, and tossing it over your shoulder. </p>
<p>“I will find out sooner or later,” he smirked, putting his arm across your shoulders, and walked back up the stairs together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading part 4. We finally got to learn a bit more about her past, but does anyone have any idea who her husband might be? The answer may surprise you! Also, did you like the cameos with Krista Dumont and Jimbo from The Punisher and Brad from Spiderman! It was definitely a heavy chapter with the angst and all I can say is expect more of that. Again thanks for reading, comments, and kudos always welcome! They can be a good motivator! ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After a week of taking call after call, it was nice to get together with the girls. It wasn’t going to be a late-night, but after last weeks rough call, you just wanted to get out of your head and blow off some steam with Nat and Carol at Happy’s Hydrant. <b><br/></b></p><p>The Hydrant was the place to be tonight. You couldn't remember it ever being this busy, but it was a Friday night. There were always women hoping to get with a man in uniform and men hoping to get lucky with a badass woman first responder. For some, it worked like a charm, but for others, while they had to work a little harder to get some action. </p><p>You leaned against your pool cue, watching Nat lineup her stick to the corner pocket with Carol observing from the side, sipping on her beer. Nat took the shot but missed the pocket, forcing a smirk across your lips. Nat stood up straight, rolling her eyes at you.</p><p>“Can’t win them all,” you teased, eyeing the table to find your next shot. </p><p>Billards was your bar game. When you were attending New York University, you worked at a bar and hustled to make a few extra bucks. Guys would often undermine you at first, but you weren’t afraid to show them what you could do.  </p><p>“Hey, sweet thing, you like playing pool,” a guy said behind you as you leaned over to take a shot. </p><p>“It seems that way, doesn’t it,” you replied, rolling your eyes. He placed a hand on your lower back, making you tense up and let out a sharp breath. You stood up straight and turned around to face him. He was standing closer to you than you expected, and you could smell the overconsumption of alcohol on his breath.</p><p>“I’ll bring the balls if you bring your rack.” He bit his lip, his eyes drifting to your chest.</p><p>“You sure you have the balls to handle me because that line was fucking terrible.”</p><p>“Do you want to find out?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Come on, girl.” He stepped even closer to you, making the back of your thighs hit the pool table. He placed his hands on your hips, and you froze in place. Your heart pounded, feeling every nerve in your body firing, telling you to run, but your mind filled with fear. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to get away from those thoughts, but deep down, you knew one wrong move or smartass remark would make things worse.</p><p>“Can you...Can you please get your hands off of me,” you gulped, letting out a shaky breath.</p><p>“What’s that sweetheart?”</p><p>“Get your hands off of her asshole. She’s not interested,” Nat's voice hit your ears, and you felt the weight in front of you disappear.</p><p>“Yeah, take a walk prick,” Carol shouted beside you. You opened your eyes to see the asshole retreating away, letting out a relieved breath. “How you holding up, girl?”</p><p>You shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Sorry, I kind of froze up there.”</p><p>“Don’t apologize, dude was an asshole. You’re still trying to find yourself and get your confidence back,” Carol replied, patting you on the shoulder. “You’ll find it, and when you do, we’ll be right there with you.” You nodded, crossing your arms across your chest. “If you’re interested, Val teaches a self-defense class, well it’s more of a boxing class at Jabari Tribe Training Center. We could even go with you,” Carol offered, earning a nod from Nat. </p><p>“I’ll think about it.” You shrugged, staring at the floor.</p><p>“You know what, girls, this calls for shots,” Nat commented. “I’ll be back.” She disappeared to the bar, being greeted by a few guys offering to buy her the shots.</p><p>“Hey, YN.” You peeked up at Carol before your eyes drifted back to the floor. “Promise me you won’t let that asshole ruin your night.”</p><p>“I promise.”</p><p>“Good. And not all guys are like him; some are just drunk assholes who think just because they wear a uniform, every woman wants to sleep with them when really they aren’t interested,” She sighed, staring at you. “How about we start another game then?”</p><p>“Um...yeah, let’s do it.”</p><p>______</p><p>“YN, why can’t you let me win for once?” Carol whined, leaning against her pool cue.</p><p>“Practice more, and then maybe you'll have a chance,” you smirked, feeling better after a couple of shots and another beer later.</p><p>You lined up to sink the number 8 ball in the corner pocket when someone out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. You gulped, turning your head in their direction to find Fireman Rogers. “You’re sort of ruining my concentration with your staring.”</p><p>“Didn’t know I had that effect on you.”</p><p>You scoffed, taking the shot and missing the pocket. “That’s on you.” You didn’t miss the slight nod from him and the ever-growing grin appearing on Carol’s face, watching the two of you interact.</p><p>“Ouch!” He held a hand over his heart, smirking at you.</p><p>You watched Carol sink one of her three remaining stripes into the pocket but failed to get the other two in. You nodded to yourself, setting yourself up to get the number 8 ball in the same corner pocket. Shooting a quick glare towards Steve, he held up his hands, trying to hide his smile by taking a sip of his beer. You hit the white ball, sending it right towards the number 8 ball, sinking it into the corner pocket.</p><p>“Well...that’s game. Rogers, you’re up. Time for you to take on the champ.” Carol walked over to him, forcing the pool cue to his chest until he grabbed it, and she shot you a quick wink over her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.</p><p>“Smooth,” you whispered under your breath.</p><p>“What was that?” Steve questioned, leaning a little closer to you.</p><p>“Bring it, Rogers.”</p><p>_______</p><p>With one last hit, the number 8 ball sunk into the center pocket. “And with that, the champ remains the champ. Good game though, you weren’t...bad.”</p><p>“Not bad, huh? Maybe you caught me on an off day.”</p><p>“Will save the rematch for another day then.” You put the pool cue back on the wall and went to your usual table, taking a seat on one of the high stools. You take a sip of your beer, noticing Steve taking the chair across from you.</p><p>“How did you get so good at pool?”</p><p>“I worked at a bar in college and got really good at it. Even hustled a few people to get some extra cash.”</p><p>“Did they deserve it?” He asked with a chuckle. </p><p>“Of course,” you smirked, taking a sip of your drink. Your eyes traveled around the bar, spotting your brother with a group of ladies. It still baffled you how he could finagle himself into any group, whether it was to make friends or take someone home. In this incident, it looked to be taking someone home. Thor wrapped his arm around one of the ladies and headed out the door.  “Well, I’m in no rush to get home now.”</p><p>“Why is that?”</p><p>“My brother just walked out the door with his latest conquest.” His eyes traveled to the door. “Now in the morning, I will have to make small talk with her, and poor Darryl is gonna have to hear them…” you shake your head, not finishing the sentence. “Good thing I got him noise-canceling headphones.”</p><p>“Good thing.”</p><p>“How are you liking the 107 so far?”</p><p>“It’s...” Steve started only to be interrupted by Sam.</p><p>“Okay, so Thor just left with the woman I was hitting on all night. Can’t your brother give another brother a chance,” Sam added, taking a swig of his beer. </p><p>“That’s my brother for…”</p><p>“Steve, I heard you just got your ass handed to you in pool. Way to go, girl.” Bucky held up his hand, and you high-fived him. “Steve’s good. He always kicks my ass.”</p><p>“Well, that’s because you suck at it,” Sam added.</p><p>“Well, at least I can get a woman to go home with me.”</p><p>“That’s cold.”</p><p>“You can’t get every woman to go with you,” Nat added, taking the stool next to yours.</p><p>“Wanna bet.” Bucky licked his lips, earning a scoff from Nat. “Listen here, everyone. I am about to share Mr. Barnes Fling Tips 401. That’s right, this is senior college level, no freshman 101.” He takes a drink of his beer. “First: Get the lovely woman’s attention; catch her eye at the bar, smile at her, send her a drink, whatever you need to do to get her to notice you. Number two: once she notices you, disappear for a little while to see if she looks for you. Then, when she least expects it, go over to her and introduce yourself. Then, this is where the real flirting happens; smirk at her, put a hand on her thigh, bite your lip, any of the telltale signs you’re interested. Then finally, she will take your hand, and that’s when you take her home. We both have meaningless sex and then move on. We both get exactly what we wanted.”</p><p>“You’re terrible.” Nat rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest.</p><p>“Says the female version of me,” he smirked.</p><p>“You wish, because then maybe, just maybe, I would give you the time of day and sleep with you. But, you’re not worth it. I don’t think I could ever sink low enough to sleep with you.”</p><p>“Ouch, doll, ouch.” He held his hand over his heart, feigning hurt in his eyes.</p><p>“I would feel bad, but we both know you don’t have a heart when it comes to women.”</p><p>“One right after another. You’re on fire, Red.”</p><p>“I don’t have time for this. Come on, YN, let's go get another drink.” Nat grabbed your hand and pulled you to the bar with her.  </p><p>“Is it just me, or was that a whole lotta sexual tension right there?” Sam asked Steve as soon as Bucky stormed off.</p><p>“I would say so,” Steve nodded in agreement.</p><p>________</p><p>You classified yourself as a people watcher, and you always found it interesting to watch people interact with one another. You'd often see the people looking to hookup. A bachelorette party with an overly flirty bride to be who may or may not make a mistake tonight. Those people who came out to drink for fun; those that drink because they have a problem; the new parents that needed to get out of the house, or the couple still getting to know one another. You never met any of these people in your life, but you couldn’t help but create their life story. </p><p>It was like the couple sitting close together in the booth to your right. They were falling for each, whether they planned it or not. It was easy to tell with the way they looked at each other. You felt that way once, too. The feeling that you and him were the only two in a crowded room. You thought it was love, but looking back, maybe it was something different. Something toxic, like a poisonous gas entering the air without you knowing, and sooner or later, you're gasping, trying to find the last bit of oxygen. But, it’s no use because you’re trapped, and every breath you take only makes you weaker and unable to move, and eventually, it ends up taking everything from you. </p><p>“Hi, again.” Steve takes a seat on the stool next to you at the bar, pulling you out of your head. “Everyone keeps leaving me, and I didn’t want to look like that loser in the bar sitting by himself.”</p><p>“So you came over to join me? Who was sitting by herself looking like a loser?”</p><p>“Yeah, but now we can be losers together,” he chuckled, making you smirk. </p><p>“Speak for yourself,” you chuckled, picking at the label on the beer bottle.“You and Bucky became fast friends.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, we have known each other since we were kids.”</p><p>“Wait, you grew up here?” You turned your heads towards him, narrowing your eyes at him.</p><p>“No in Brooklyn. Brooklyn, New York.”</p><p>“Get out--” you hit him on the arm “--I used to live in Brooklyn.” </p><p>“Really? Small world,” he smiled, leaning in a little closer to you to hear you better over the music playing on the jukebox. “What made you move out here?” </p><p>“Story for another time,” you pointed the tip of your beer bottle at him. </p><p>He nodded, “So why a 9-1-1 dispatcher?”</p><p>“You’re full of questions, aren’t you, Steve?” </p><p>He shrugged with a small chuckle. “A few.”</p><p>“Did you get dragged out tonight, too?” You asked, taking a sip of your beer.</p><p>“What makes you think that?”</p><p>“Think it was so our friends could get a little action.” Your eyes traveled around the bar to see Bucky leaving with a redhead, and Nat had her hand on a guy's bicep with a flirty expression on her face. You had no idea where Carol went, and Sam must’ve left after realizing his luck ran out. Poor guy.</p><p>“So it would seem,” he smirked, glancing around the room. </p><p>You felt your phone vibrate, and you glanced down, seeing a message from Nat. </p><p> </p><p><b>Nat: </b> <em>Heading out! Hope you can find a way home ;)</em></p><p><b>YN: </b> <em>Yeah, it’s called an Uber</em></p><p><b>Nat: </b> <em>(rolling eyes emoji)</em></p><p> </p><p>“And with that, my ride just left.” You locked your phone, sliding it back into your pocket.</p><p>“Yeah, my ride left about five minutes ago.” Steve sighed, staring at his beer bottle. “What do you say about getting out of here?” </p><p>You glanced at him underneath your eyelashes. “I hope you know you're not getting in my pants.” </p><p>“Oh, I know, I didn’t mean it like that, but maybe another time,” he winked, forcing you to crack a smile. </p><p>“Smooth, Rogers. Smooth,” you commented. “And here I thought you were a goody-to-shoes.”</p><p>“Most people do, but I am far from it.”</p><p>“I am seeing that now,” you chuckled, swallowing the little bit left in your drink. He nodded, glancing around the bar. “Are you ready?”</p><p>“For what?” </p><p>“To get out of here?”</p><p>“I didn’t mean…” His head snapped to you with raised eyebrows.</p><p>“I know, another time,” you teased, seeing the corner of his mouth turn up. “Are you coming because your half-full beer says otherwise?”</p><p>He looked at it, then back over at you. Something in his blue eyes shifted from playful to curious in a matter of seconds. “Let's blow this popsicle stand,” Steve smirked, downing the rest of his drink. </p><p>“Easy there, don’t want to have to carry you out of here,” you commented as he reached behind him and slipped on his jacket. </p><p>“Haha.”</p><p>You felt the chill in the air as soon as you walked out the front door of the bar. It felt like fall was just around the corner, and it only brought goosebumps to your skin.  </p><p>“How far is home?” Steve asked.</p><p>“About thirty blocks north, but you don’t have to walk with me. I just figured you didn’t want to look like a loser sitting at the bar by yourself.”</p><p>“Thanks, I appreciate your concern, but I don’t mind. I have nothing waiting for me at home, and this way, you have some company.”</p><p>“Or do you just not want me to get mugged or something?”</p><p>“Maybe that too,” he chuckled, slipping his hands into his jacket pockets. “So you live with your brother? Why don’t you have your own place?” </p><p>“I’ve been looking, and I did find one I love. The only problem is I don’t know what to say to Thor.”</p><p>“I’m sure he’ll understand.” He added. “It will probably be hard for him at first, but it’s always hard to start over,” Steve mumbled like he knew from his own experience. </p><p>“Yeah, but you haven’t experienced softie Thor.”</p><p>“Softie Thor?”</p><p>“Don’t tell anyone I told you this, but he still sleeps with his baby blanket. He calls it Mjolnir, and it has all kinds of different hammers and tools on it. He says he doesn’t have it anymore, but the last time I saw it, it was hiding under his pillow.”</p><p>“Really?” he smiled, shaking his head. “The big guy. Yay, tall--” he gestured with his hand “--blonde hair, god-like deep voice girls fall for, and he still sleeps with a blankety?” You nodded. “Yeah, I can say I have never seen that side of him.” He chuckled, shaking his head.</p><p>You rubbed your upper arms, hoping to keep the chill at bay but having little to no success. You always seemed to forget to grab a jacket before going out. “Why did you transfer to LA from Brooklyn?”</p><p>“Now, look who is full of questions?”</p><p>“Call me curious.” You shrugged, catching his eye before his return back to the ground.</p><p>“Fine, but then you have to answer one of my questions.” You nodded. “Okay, well, I transferred because I needed a new start after some bad stuff went down.”</p><p>“Why, what happened?”</p><p>“Trying to pull a fast one on me. I like it, but my turn.” You let out an annoyed sigh. “What did you do when you lived in Brooklyn?”</p><p>“Fair question." You nodded. "I was an ER nurse. It was both stressful and satisfying at the same time. On the one hand, I didn’t know what was going to come through the doors, but on the other hand, bringing someone back on the brink of dying gave me a rush. I can’t even explain the feeling; I loved my job.”</p><p>“Then, why leave?”</p><p>“I needed a fresh start.” You glanced over at him, and he nodded, biting his lip. “Looks like we left for the same reason.” </p><p>“Maybe this is fate's way of telling us we both deserve a second chance.” </p><p>“If you believe in that sort of thing,” You shivered, running your hands over your arms to get them to warm up. </p><p>“Here.” Steve started pulling off his worn-out brown leather jacket and offering it to you.</p><p>“No, you keep it. I don’t want you to get cold.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about me? I’m like a body heater.”</p><p>“Fine, but if you get cold, you better tell me.” You slipped it on, feeling the warmth envelop you. His scent on his jacket made your insides twist. You pulled it tight around you, feeling your body warm up in an instant. </p><p>“I will,” he smiled, putting his hands in his pants pockets, shrugging.</p><p>You walked in silence for a block or so when you stopped at the crosswalk, waiting for the walking figure to appear. “What was it like growing up in Brooklyn with Bucky?”</p><p>He chuckled. “Well, it’s a funny story actually because it all started in grade school.” He glanced at you as if asking if he wanted to hear it. “I was drawing on the playground one day at recess. And at the time, I was a sickly little kid, and my mom told me I couldn’t play sports because I had a lot of health problems when I was younger before I became this.” He gestured to himself, making you roll your eyes. “Anyways, I was drawing, and these bullies came over and stood in my light and poured water over my notebook…”</p><p>“Those assholes.”</p><p>“Yeah, right,” he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. The crosswalk person appeared, and they started walking again. “I was never one to back down from a fight, so I stood up to him. He pushed me, and I fell, but I got back up and tried to push him, but ended up getting pushed down again, this time landing in a mud puddle. Then, Bucky came over, and straight-up punched this dude in the face. I think we were six at the time.”</p><p>“Oh my god, are you kidding?” Your mouth dropped over, and you covered it with your hand.</p><p>“Wish I was. Bucky told him to pick on someone his own size and sent him crying. After that, we became pretty good friends.”</p><p>“Do you still have the never run from a fight mentality?” You eyed him over and noticed him keeping a close eye on you.</p><p>“Yeah, I just don’t like bullies.” He shrugged as comfortable silence fell between the two of you once again. “You said you needed a fresh start. What were you running from?” You stared hard at the ground, biting your lip, not sure if you wanted to lay it all out for him. “Question for another time. How about a counter-question,” he hummed, thinking it over as you watched him mull over what to ask next. “How was it growing up with Thor?”</p><p>“Thor and I were never close growing up, which is crazy considering I live with him now. He was my older brother, he had his friends he always hung out with, and I was the younger sister. What older sibling wants to hang out with their younger sibling unless their parents ask them to? We got along, but I grew up being close with our adopted brother Loki. When Thor graduated from high school, he tried college but found it wasn’t for him, and then one day decided to move to LA and become a firefighter. After he moved, I didn’t talk to him much. Loki and I stayed in Brooklyn, I got my nursing degree, and he went into Broadway production. We were a scattered out set of siblings, living on two different coasts.”</p><p>“If you and Thor were never close, why move here and live with him?”</p><p>“I knew he would help me find myself again.” </p><p>“What do you mean by that?”</p><p>“Thor was the brother that wasn’t afraid to make a fool of himself to get me to laugh or feel better. He could get things off my mind when I needed to, plus he’s easy to talk to. Loki’s more of the conservative brother that has a plan and can be a diva at times. I love them both, but I knew starting here would be the fresh start I needed.” You shrugged in his jacket. “I think you owe me at least three extra questions.” </p><p>“Depends what you qualify as a question.”</p><p>“Oh, is that how it’s gonna be, wise guy.” You pushed him on the arm. “My turn to ask, let’s see, hmmm.” You tapped your chin with your finger. “How did you and my brother bond so fast?”</p><p>“I don’t know. It’s what you have to do in this job, trust your team. Besides, like you said, your brother is easy to get along with after you get past his ego.”</p><p>“He does have a big ego,” you nodded with a chuckle.</p><p>“What’s the hardest part about being a 911 dispatcher?”</p><p>“Really? Already asking a question. I think you still owe me a couple, but I’ll oblige.” You took in a deep breath and let it out, thinking it over. “When the caller hangs up, and you never know what the outcome is. Like, am I making a difference, am I helping? Being a nurse, I knew the outcome because I was there for everything, but here, all you can do is send help. I could look at the records and see what happened, but what if it’s not the outcome I hoped for.” You stared at the ground in front of you. “It’s almost like never finding out an ending to a movie or a book. I want to know what happened, but maybe it’s better left not knowing. After they hang up, sometimes you don’t get time to process it because there is another caller with another emergency.” </p><p>“I get it. Sometimes what we do can be a horror movie. It can give us nightmares if you can’t save someone or can’t get there in time,” Steve’s voice drifted off. “You can play it over in your head to figure out what you could’ve done differently, but sometimes the ending you wanted to happen was never going to happen.” He stared wide-eyed at the ground before glancing your way. There was something different in his eyes, like a nightmare he never quite escaped. “And you’re right, it’s one call after another with little to no recovery time in between.”</p><p>“But, then you get those calls where everything goes right, and it makes everything you’re doing worth it.” You shot him a warm smile, earning a nod from him.</p><p>“Have to say I agree with that.”</p><p>Both of you remained silent for a couple of blocks. These careers were tough to talk about. Everyone called you heroes, but sometimes it was hard to feel like a hero.</p><p>“Why did you want to be a fireman?”</p><p>“Simple, I like helping people, but like any job, it takes a toll.” He shrugged, glancing at you. “When your adrenaline is pumping, and every nerve in your body is firing. There is pressure put on us, and we never know how things will turn out, but we have to assure those we are trying to save that they are going to be okay. It’s like in a moment's notice we have to drop everything because we are the only help that is coming, and we have to try and save them from what could be the worst moment in their life.”</p><p>“It’s almost like you rehearsed that. Did you...did you rehearse that?” You joked, forcing him to crack a smile.</p><p>“Shut up, so what if I did.” He nudged your side, making you laugh out loud. It was a real laugh, the kind you haven’t had in a long time. It wasn’t a simple chuckle or a forced giggle, but for the first time in a long time, it sounded happy. Maybe, this is what Bruce was talking about when he told you to talk to someone. Weirdly enough, you did feel lighter, like some of the weight was lifted off your shoulders with this one conversation. </p><p>You came to a stop in front of a cozy little townhouse Thor and Darryl rented. It wasn’t huge. It was a two-bedroom home that an elderly couple raised their little girl, Hope, in. You only met Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne a few times, but they were a lovely couple that decided to rent out that home and retire next to the ocean. </p><p>“This is me.” You waved your hand at the house and started pulling off Steve’s jacket when he stopped you. </p><p>“Hold on to it for me.  I’m sure I’ll see you again.”</p><p>“Awful sure of yourself, what makes you think I want to see you again?”</p><p>“A guy can hope, can’t he. If it helps, my jacket looks a hell of a lot better on you.” </p><p>“It’s helping,” you breathed a smirk, pulling the jacket around you. “Goodnight, Steve. Thanks for the talk and the walk home.”</p><p>“Glad I could help. Have a nice night, YN,” he waved, watching you walk up the steps and use your keys to unlock the door. You opened the door and turned around to find him waiting for you to safely get inside. </p><p>“I want you to know, I am still holding you to answer one question,” you added, opening the door wider.</p><p>“Look forward to answering it,” he smiled as you walked in and shut the door behind you.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Part 5! This is probably a chapter you all have been waiting for...more Steve action! Haha! What did you think of the round of twenty questions?! We got a little bit more backstory on her, and a little more about Steve. He left to get a new start, too, any theories as to why?! I mean, I know, but I'm curious where your heads are at! Also, I don't know much about billiards/pool rules, it's basically what I have learned through watching people play it, so if it’s totally off my bad! Again, thanks for reading, reblogs, likes, and comments always welcome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few days after your stroll with Steve, you finally had a day off of work, well, more like the next three days, which was a relief. Taking a stool at the kitchen island, you let the hot mug warm your hands. It was a long night with nightmare after nightmare resulting in little to no sleep. You would have slept in, but today is the day you were signing your lease. It was time to stop using your brother as a crutch and get back out into the world by yourself again. Now, all you had to do was tell Thor.<b><br/>
</b></p><p>You blew the steam off your mug, hearing Thor come barreling into the kitchen, patting you on the shoulder before grabbing a mug from the cabinet. He has a huge smile on his face, pouring himself some coffee.</p><p>“YN, you will never believe what happened yesterday? It was marvelous.”</p><p>“You got laid?” you yawned, rubbing your eyes. How he never looked tired still bothered you. I mean, his energy was always way more than you could handle. It was like he was from a different planet sometimes. </p><p>“Yeah, well duh, but besides that?”</p><p>“What happened?”</p><p>“Steve, you know, Steve--” you nodded your head slowly, wondering where he was going with this “--He rescued a dog from a burning warehouse, and now he has adopted it and called it his own. Here look at the pretty boy.” Thor reached for his phone in his pocket and showed you a picture of the dog. It looked like a golden retriever mixed with something else, but you couldn’t place it. “Steve named him Cosmo.”</p><p>“Aww, he’s cute. How did this even happen?”</p><p>“He heard a dog barking, ran inside, rescued it, and then got his ass chewed by Danvers. It was hilarious,” he chuckled. “Steve was like the building isn’t clear and Danvers was like don’t you dare, but then he was like blegh and took off--” he smiled, shaking his head to himself. “--once Steve took off, Bucky went right in after him. I tell yeah, those two are like two peas in a pod.”</p><p>“The adrenaline makes you do crazy things sometimes.”</p><p>“Yeah, but still, crazy morons.” He shook his head. “How are you doing this morning? It sounded like you had a rough night, and not to be harsh, but you look kind of terrible.” He pointed his finger at you, waving it over you as your mouth dropped open.</p><p>“Thanks so much for that uplifting compliment, brother.” You rolled your eyes, unable to hide the annoyance in your voice. “It’s fine, a few nightmares here and there, but it’s a take it day by day kind of thing, right.” He nodded. “But there is something I wanted to talk to you about?”</p><p>“What’s that?” Thor asked, taking a sip of his mug. “Darryl, my good man, good morning.”</p><p>“Good morning to you both,” he nodded at each of you. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet, stepping over to the coffee maker, which Thor was still standing in front of.</p><p>“What did you want to tell me?” Thor asked, not even noticing Darryl trying to get some coffee.</p><p>You sighed, rolling your eyes. “Thor, move. Darryl wants coffee.”</p><p>“Sorry pal, I didn’t see you there.” He smiled, patting him on the shoulder, and moved out of the way. </p><p>Darryl nodded his head at you as if to say a silent thank you. He filled his mug and took the stool next to you. Thor watched him the whole time before his eyes connected with the clock.  “Oh, shit, is that the time. I have to get to the station.”</p><p>“I’m moving out,” you blurted out, forcing Thor to stop dead in his tracks and face you. </p><p>“Ahhh...what?”</p><p>“I’m moving.”</p><p>“No, you’re not. I don’t want you to move out. Darryl--” he pointed at him “--Darryl doesn’t want you to move out.” </p><p>You turned around on your stool to look at him. “While Darryl has been sleeping and living on the couch for the last three months.”</p><p>“Darryl doesn’t mind. Do you, Darryl?”</p><p>“Well, actually…” Darryl started, but Thor cut him off. </p><p>“Darryl, please stop talking--” Thor held up his hand at him “-- I am trying to have a conversation with my sister.” He turned back towards you. “What if he finds you? Who is going to protect you?”</p><p>“I don’t need your constant protection. I can handle myself; besides, I started training with Val, and she has been teaching me a few things.”</p><p>“Really? Like you were protecting yourself when you were married to that guy for what...6 years. Yeah, real fine job you did protecting yourself there.” You glared at him, shaking your head. “And what about when you had your breakdown a couple of weeks ago, or how you just told me you’re having nightmares.” You bit your tongue, trying to hold back what you really wanted to say to him.</p><p>“Well, I am gonna leave you two to it,” Darryl started to stand up.</p><p>“No, Darryl, sit and stay,” Thor stated, forcing him to sit right back down. Darryl stared wide eyes at you and nodded to himself. This must have felt like torture to him, similar to when a friend is getting yelled at by their parents, and you’re like this is a nice wall.</p><p>“Darryl, it’s fine. Go and get ready for work.” He stood back up from his stool.</p><p>“No, Darryl, sit back down.” He sat back down.</p><p>“No, go, Darryl, you have to get ready for work.” He stands up and swiftly walks out of the kitchen to the living room, grabbing his suit and rushing towards the bathroom. </p><p>“Darryl doesn’t even work today?”</p><p>“Yes, he does. If you would ask him a question now and then, instead of making him do your chores.”</p><p>“He likes doing them.”</p><p>You roll your eyes, shaking your head. It was like arguing with a child; once he sees something shiny, he changes the subject. You stood up and took a deep breath. “Thor, I’m moving. I found this cute little one-bedroom condo a few blocks from work in a great neighborhood. It sits in a nook with two other condos and has a top-notch security system. There’s even a neighborhood watch, and the price is too perfect to pass up.”</p><p>“But why move when you’re not ready to be out on your own again.”</p><p>“You’re the only one saying I’m not ready. Thor, I need to start living for myself again; instead of using you as a crutch that I constantly fall back on.” He shook his head. “It’s the next step, and I need to move forward.” You bit your lip, marching past him towards your room.</p><p>“I bet Loki would agree with me,” he yelled down the short hallway.</p><p>You stopped dead in your tracks and turned on your heels to face him. “That’s where you’re wrong, brother. He sided with me on this one--” you pointed to yourself  “--he wants me to move on and get my own place. He wants me to FIND myself again, but you...you don’t. You don’t know what it was like living with someone you thought you could trust. Someone you thought loved you and then...then he--” your voice cracks “--forget it, you’re not even listening to me.”  </p><p>“Sometimes, you’re just as stubborn as Loki.”</p><p>“Well, he is my favorite brother, and that shit is bound to rub off on me sooner or later.” You turned back on your heel and slammed your door closed. </p><p>“THEN, WHY DON’T YOU GO MOVE IN WITH HIM THEN,” Thor yelled, hearing it echo down the hall to your room. </p><p>You bit your lip and swung the door open. “MAYBE I WILL, OR BETTER YET, I'LL JUST GET MY OWN PLACE,” you replied, slamming the door again. </p><p>_______</p><p>“Steve, I need to tell you something,” Bucky grunted as he bench pressed with Steve spotting him. </p><p>“What’s that pal?”</p><p>“There is this girl, while more so a woman than a girl, but I’ve seen her on more than one occasion if you know what I mean.” Bucky put the barbell back on the rack and sat up on the bench to switch out.  “And man, she’s something else. At first, when we hooked up, it was, I’m not gonna lie, it was hot. The best I’ve ever had. I won’t tell her that because she’ll get all cocky about it, but now I am starting to wonder if I’m the best she ever had, you know?” </p><p>“Buck. I don’t think you’ve ever talked about a woman like this before. It’s almost like you’re catching feelings for her.” Steve leaned down on the bench as Bucky started spotting him. </p><p>“No, I’m not; besides, what do you know, man?” Bucky scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Last I heard, you didn’t know a thing about women.”</p><p>“Yeah, well, they can be complicated, but you’re telling this to the guy who was married before,” he chuckled, getting fifteen reps in before sitting up. </p><p>“Why do you always use that line? It's not fair because I have no comeback to it.”</p><p>“That’s why I use it,” he chuckled as Bucky shook his head. “It shuts you right up.”</p><p>Steve glanced over when he heard a door slam from the locker room. Thor stomped out, wrapping his hands angrily for the punching bag. He grunted, cursing under his breath. </p><p>“Hey, you alright, Thor? You’re really taking it out on that punching bag?” Steve asked, looking over at Bucky, who had a smirk on his face from watching him. “Thor, what’s up?” Thor made a face at them and continued to beat up the bag when the alarm blared, forcing them to stop everything, suit up, and get into the truck.</p><p>“Alright, gentleman, it sounds like we have a lady stuck in a donation bin. We have word she has been in there for at least 3 hours, and on this hot day in Los Angeles, best guess it is well over 100 degrees in that metal container. We will have to work quickly to get her out, so here’s the plan…”</p><p>______</p><p>On-site, Steve got out of the truck and followed Thor to one of the gear hatches. A few news crews were already on the scene along with a crowd of people watching from the barriers the police set up. He sighed, rubbing the sweat off his forehead. It was a scorcher today, and the inside of the bin was only going to get hotter for the woman trapped inside. </p><p>“Steve, I’ve noticed you have a way with words,” Thor admitted, trying to find the saw.</p><p>“I have my moments,” he smirked with a half shrug.</p><p>“My sister wants to move out,” Thor confided, scratching his beard before grabbing the saw. “She found this condo.”</p><p>“Isn’t that a good thing?”</p><p>“Yes and no,” he sighed, following behind Steve to the donation bin where Val was talking to the woman inside.</p><p> “Hey, boys. Her name is Maggie Lang, and she’s conscious, but she’s burning up. She’s sweating profusely and feels like she could pass out at any minute, and judging by the increasing heat index, it is not going to get any better, so let’s hurry this up.”</p><p>“Maggie, go to the other side of the bin as far as you can and cover up with this jacket," Steve advised, handing her his fireman's jacket. "This will protect you from any of the flying sparks while we cut the hinges off." Steve stepped away from the container, shooting Thor a quick nod.</p><p>“Ready,” Thor announced as he turned on the saw and started cutting the door hinges. Everyone backed away, and after he got the last one sawed off, the door creaked, falling to the ground. Maggie was holding onto an ugly rabbit stuffed animal, looking very flushed and dehydrated. Val and Sam ran over to check on her.</p><p>“Whoa, you went in there to save that ugly thing,” Sam asked, smiling down at the toy.</p><p>“It’s my daughter’s,” she breathed.  “My ex-husband got it for her, and I accidentally threw it in the donation bin.” </p><p>_______</p><p>Steve started carrying equipment back to the truck when Thor came up next to him. “The thing is, since you’re new…newish, you might not know that YN was married.” Steve widened his eyes at him. “Technically, she still is married, but she left him and ended up on my doorstep.”</p><p>“I see,” Steve added, narrowing his eyes, stuffing the equipment into the hatch.</p><p>“It wasn’t a happy marriage. It was destructive and took an emotional toll on her, both mentally and physically.” He ran his hand through his short hair. “I don’t think she’s ready to be out on her own yet. I mean, how is she even going to protect herself if he comes around?”</p><p>“Think you’re underestimating her man?” Thor stopped what he was doing, furrowing his brows at him. “She got out. She left him. Leaving those toxic relationships is the hardest part. Besides, hasn’t it been three months? If he knows where she is, why hasn’t he come around.” Thor nodded. “You should be proud of her and encourage her. She is moving on and trying to make a new life for herself without her ex.” </p><p>“But my point is, she’s leaving again, and I don’t want us to lose touch like we have in the past. She’s always been close to Loki, so with me getting to know her again has been great.” </p><p>“It’s not like she is moving back across the country, Thor.”</p><p>“I know, but we had a fight recently, and she said she was going to either move out or go back to live with Loki.”</p><p>“She probably didn’t mean it; besides, if she moves into the condo, you can go visit her anytime you want. YN is building a new life for herself, and you should be proud of her.”</p><p>“You’re right, Steve.” He patted him on the shoulder, a huge grin hitting his features. “I am proud of her. I should talk to her after this.”</p><p>“Yeah, you should.”</p><p>“You sound like Bruce. He is really good at giving advice.”</p><p>“Bruce?”</p><p>“He is the one that popped my dispatcher cherry. I’ll tell you the story sometime.”</p><p>Steve chuckled. “Sounds great.”</p><p>_______</p><p>You sat on the couch with Darryl on the other end, flipping through the channels, hoping something good would show up. Earlier today, you went and signed the lease on the condo, and you could start moving in tomorrow. It was a big step for you, and you were going to take it whether or not Thor supported you. You needed to do this for yourself.</p><p>“YN,” Thor shouted, entering the house, making you jump a little on the couch.</p><p>“In Darryl’s room,” you yelled back to him. Thor came in and stepped in front of the television, so you couldn’t see the screen. “Excuse me?  We were watching that.” </p><p>“Are you positive you want to move?” He stepped over the coffee table and sat on it. </p><p>“Yes. I signed the lease earlier today, and there's nothing you can do to change my mind.” </p><p>“Great, that’s fantastic,” he nodded, giving you a thumbs up. “I don’t want to change your mind. I want you to do it.”</p><p>“Really?” Your eyes widened, then narrowed with suspension. “Why the sudden change of heart?” </p><p>“I realized I was being childish,” Thor admitted, and you nodded in agreement. “I want you to be happy, and if this is what makes you happy, I’m with you, but are you going to be okay living by yourself?”</p><p>“I don’t know,” you shrugged, making him narrow his eyes at you. “But I have to try, right? I </p><p>mean, the only reason I do feel ready is because of you.”</p><p>“Me, why?” </p><p>“You convinced me to start over and make a new life here in LA. You took me in, kept me safe, and he still hasn’t come around. Sure, he called the one time, but that was it. I was scared when I left, but you helped me feel safe again. I still have a long way to go before I start to feel myself again, but I am getting there with your help and the friends I have made here. To be honest, I don’t think I will ever be fully ready to be out on my own, but the hardest step is taking that first step.” </p><p>His face broke out into a huge smile. “I’m proud of you, sister, and I’m sorry about earlier.” </p><p>You smiled at him and leaned over, pulling him in for a hug. “You’re forgiven, and thanks for everything, Thor.” You pulled back from him. “Oh, one more thing, I’m moving in tomorrow.”</p><p>“Great...yay...so soon,” Thor pulled you in for another hug, squeezing you tighter. From the quick glimpse you saw in his eyes, he wasn’t ready for you to go, but you loved how he was trying to support you.  </p><p>“So, I can have my room back, now?” Darryl asked from the couch.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Part 6! She is finally moving out! And Darryl just might get his room back! When I was trying to figure out who Thor's roommate should be, I instantly thought of Darryl. I mean, he technically is Thor's Earth roommate, right! Haha! So, Bruce popped Thor's dispatcher's cherry....kind of makes you wonder what went down, am I right? 😉🤔 And what about that teensy tiny little comment Steve made, any ideas what might have happened there?! Anyways kudos and comments always welcome. Until next week...thanks again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You had four boxes. Your life fit into four boxes. Sure, you didn’t have a bed or furniture, but luckily a few friends pitched in and gave you stuff they had laying around. Darryl had a spare TV and a TV stand; Sam offered you a coffee table and a few end tables; Bucky had three lamps his mom had given him, so they were pretty vintage, but you were okay with that. Nothing would match, but at least it was a start. Thor agreed to help you move the bigger furniture that couldn’t fit in your car and ended up inviting Sam, Bucky, and Steve along to help since they had the day off. More so, we were using Steve for his truck to haul things.<b><br/></b></p><p>You unlocked the door, carrying your luggage and a box from your car inside. You looked around, remembering how the pictures online didn’t do the place any justice compared to seeing it in person. It had exposed brick on one of the walls in the living room while the rest of the walls were gray with white trim. It was small with an open first floor and stairs going up to the second story where the bedroom was. It even had a small balcony overlooking the first floor. Your bedroom had a walk-in closet with a washer and dryer in it and a furnished bathroom with a footed tub. </p><p>A huge feature that attracted you to this place was the security system. Your new landlady, Maria Hill, reassured you that she installed the best security system on the market from X-Con Security Consultants. They even created an app where you could look at all the cameras outside, and if the alarm is triggered, police are notified right away. The seven-foot concrete walls built around the nook of houses and the front entrance gate also made you feel more confident about living here. You had a few neighbors inside the walls, but from what Maria told you, they were great company. </p><p>You left your luggage at the door and set the box on the island in the kitchen. The kitchen had dark brown cabinets with a marbled countertop and newly installed stainless steel appliances. You always loved to cook, and you were surprised you only had one box labeled kitchen on it. You let out a deep breath realizing how excited and nervous you were to start over. You were excited to decorate and bring your new place to life with your personality, including the cutest nicknacks, rugs, and furniture. But there was a sense of nervousness to be out on your own. What will happen when he finds you? Will he hurt you, take you away, or worse? It sent a shiver down your spine just thinking about it. </p><p>“Is this everything?” Sam asked, placing two end tables in the living room area. </p><p>“For now,” you replied with a half shrug. “I’ll accumulate stuff.”</p><p>“Where’s the bed?” Steve questioned. </p><p>“Right there.” You pointed to the air mattress still in the box. </p><p>“That’s not a bed, girl. Come on, peeps, we're going shopping. Steve's truck can handle the haul,” Sam announced, marching back out the door with Thor and Bucky behind him. </p><p>“Well, can’t argue with that. I guess I’m buying a bed today.” You shrugged, and Steve smirked, following you out the door. </p><p>_______</p><p>The furniture store had a lot of cute things you wish you could buy, but for now, you decided against it. All you needed was a bed, so that’s all you were going to get. This place had a huge selection of beds, but it was going to be a challenge to find the right one. </p><p>“YN, this one is amazing. Lay next to me and try it out.” Bucky patted the bed beside him.</p><p>“No, come over here, and you’ll know what it feels like to have a real man in your bed,” Sam challenged, throwing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes.</p><p>“Real man is a strong word for you, Wilson. Don’t you think?” Bucky joked, throwing a pillow and hitting him in the face.</p><p>You rolled your eyes and laid down on a few beds, but they were no good. It was like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. You just couldn’t find the right one. One was too firm, one was too soft, and you still haven’t found the one that was just right. You walked around the corner of beds to find Steve lying comfortably on a bed with his eyes closed.</p><p>“Is this one any good?”</p><p>He opened his eyes and smirked. “I like it, but lay down and try it out.” He tilted his head to the open spot beside him. </p><p>You lay down beside him, closed your eyes, and let out a sigh of relief. “And this one is just right.”</p><p>“Hi, I’m Justin Hammer. Is the lovely couple looking for a new bed?” the salesman asked, stepping over to you and Steve. </p><p> You opened your eyes and sat up. “Oh, We’re not…” you stammered, trying to find the right words. </p><p>“Yes, we are looking for a bed. What kind of deal could we get on this? We just moved in together, and she hates my bed, and we can barely afford this price,” Steve replied without missing a beat.</p><p>“Let me see what I can do.” Justin nodded and walked back to the front table. </p><p>You gawked at him. “Have you done this before?” </p><p>“What…share a bed with a woman or negotiate a ridiculous price down?”</p><p>“The price.” </p><p>“Oh yeah, but it was for my truck.”</p><p>“YN,” Thor waved at you, getting your attention. “Come check out these bunk beds. Just think of all the space you would have for activities.” </p><p>“Why did I bring them along?” You threw yourself back on the bed, running your hands down your face. </p><p>“They all rode with me to your house.” </p><p>“So, it’s not my fault; it’s yours.” </p><p>He held up his hands in surrender and smiled. “It would appear that way, wouldn’t it, but you did get free labor to help you move.”</p><p>“I guess that does outweigh the embarrassment.” </p><p>Justin returned and gave you a different offer, which was a great deal for a queen size bed. Steve offered his hand to you and pulled you off the bed. Both of you walked over to the front desk together, keeping up the charade to sign the paperwork. </p><p>“Anything else I can do for you two?”</p><p>Steve pursed his lips and looked around. “Do you have any deals on couches? YN’s couch is pretty shot.”</p><p>“What are you talking about? My couch is the best!” You bumped him on the arm, earning a smirk from him.</p><p>“Wires are sticking out of it,” Steve added, shooting you a knowing look.</p><p>“Fine, but only if there is a good deal and we can afford it.”</p><p>“Follow me,” the salesman smiled, walking in front of you. Steve and you followed, and he nudged you with his elbow and mouthed, ‘we got this.’  </p><p>Justin was telling us about a few pieces, and Steve was listening intently to him. You looked over your shoulder to catch Bucky doing hip thrust movements, and Sam had his back to them, hugging himself to look like he was making out with someone. Thor wiggled his eyebrows and was going to start another motion, but you caught his eye, and he stopped immediately. He waved at you and grinned, putting his hands on his hips. Sam nodded, glancing at you before walking away from them, almost like he was ashamed to take part in it. Bucky just stared wide-eyed at the floor, not making eye contact with you. All you could do was roll your eyes and return to listening to Justin still talking about couches. </p><p>The impromptu adventure to the furniture store was going to take two trips. One for the bed and another for the small deep gray sectional couch. We also had to make a quick stop to pick up some new bedsheets, which took much longer than necessary since everyone had to give their opinion on your choice. After getting the bed up the stairs, the guys went to pick up the couch as you got to work on putting the bed frame together. It was a quick snap in place and moving it to the right spot in your room. You put the box spring down first, then the mattress, and started to put on the fitted sheet when you heard yelling on the first floor.</p><p>“PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT,” Thor shouted, and you couldn’t help but smile. You peaked your head out the door to see them trying to get the couch in the door. </p><p>“SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP,” Bucky yelled, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Come on, guys. All we have to do is tilt it and go straight,” Sam added. “No pivoting or arguing necessary. Let’s try it again.”</p><p>You watched them go back out the door, tilt it, and walk straight through the door and into the living room. At least one of them knew what they were doing. You put the comforter on top and placed the pillows at the top of the bed. You smiled to yourself and jumped onto the bed, letting out a sigh of relief. </p><p>“Wow, already got the bed together?” Steve asked, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed.</p><p>“What, like it’s hard?”</p><p>“No, it’s--” you narrowed your eyes at him “--nevermind. Is it just as comfy as it was in the store?”</p><p>“I love it, but lay down and try it out.” You tilted to the empty side of the bed. He smirked and laid down next to you. “Satisfied?”</p><p>“More than satisfied.”</p><p>Steve let out a deep breath, and you could feel yourself sink in closer to him. Steve brought a strong presence, and he was a good man, something you weren’t used to. He was charming and playful but never overdid it. You closed your eyes, feeling the hairs on your right arm stand up when his arm brushed against yours. Your hand tingled, feeling the urge to reach out and take his. You bit your lip, hoping your mind would concentrate on something else instead of the man a few inches away from you. Your eyes flickered open, glancing at Steve. His eyes were closed, but it looked like he was at a battle with himself; With his jaw clenched and his eyes shifting under his eyelids before he finally shook his head and let out a sigh. </p><p>“Hey, YN.” Your head shot to the door to see Sam walk in, glancing between the two of you. “Ohhh, are you two testing the bed out?”</p><p>“Yeah, you want to test it out?” You asked, sliding over and patting the bed in the middle.</p><p>“No, I would hate to interrupt.” You patted the bed again. “Well, if you insist,” he smiled and jumped between you and Steve. Sam turned up to look at the ceiling. “I am just gonna come out and say it, but this bed sucks.”</p><p>“Well, it’s a good thing you’re never gonna have to sleep on it in then, Sam.”</p><p>“That you know of, Steve.”</p><p>“Okay, and on that note--” you got out of the bed “--I’m going to order some pizza as a thank you for helping me move in and getting me this comfy bed,” you added with a small smile leaving the room.</p><p>“Wow, Steve. I’m impressed how you were able to get YN into bed twice in the last few hours. And here I thought you weren’t interested in Thor’s sister?”</p><p>“Stop. It’s not like that.”</p><p>“For now.” Sam elbowed him in the side, forcing him to crack a small smirk. </p><p>_______ </p><p>You sat at the table in the break room, sipping on your favorite caffeinated beverage. After moving into your condo last week, you’ve had a few rough nights. It’s like every little noise startled you awake, but the security system app helped with those long nights, especially with how you could look at all the cameras without leaving your bed. Also, sleeping with the lights on helped, and so did having a bat underneath your bed. </p><p>“Dang, Chicka, you look exhausted?” Luis greeted, entering the break room to refill his coffee.</p><p>“Thanks for pointing that out, Luis. I’ve just had trouble sleeping since I moved into my new place, but I’ll get used to it.”</p><p>“Oh man, you’re not living with your big bro no more? Moving up in the world, thata girl,” he commented. “Not gonna lie, you’re brother intimidates me a little bit.”</p><p>“He has that effect on people.”</p><p>“At least I’m not alone then,” he chuckled, snapping the lid on his mug. “Where did you move to?”</p><p>“This little condo on Kingwood Street. It has this great security set up by…”</p><p>“X-Con Security Consultants?”</p><p>“Yeah, how did you know?”</p><p>“A buddy of mine runs it. Great guy, super-smart when it comes to breaking into people’s houses. He can always find the weak spots people never even think about.” Luis smiled as you narrowed your eyes at him. “But, he doesn’t do that anymore after he went to prison.”</p><p>“That’s good,” you nodded with wide eyes. “I think.” </p><p>“Anyways, have a good shift, YN.”</p><p>“You too, Luis.”</p><p>______</p><p>“911, what’s your emergency?”</p><p>“My fiance’s been stung by a jellyfish. Please send help?”</p><p>“Where are you?”</p><p>“Santa Monica Beach. Please hurry, he’s having trouble breathing, and his cheeks are swelling up.”</p><p>“I am dispatching units to you now.” You tapped the receiver to quickly get in touch with a first responder. “I need all available units at Santa Monica Beach. The victim is in his early thirties and his fiance believes he was stung by a jellyfish. He is wearing purple board shorts and answers to the name T’Challa. Upon arrival, Nakia will be waving her hands and bring you to him.” You clicked the receiver back to the caller. “How is he doing, Nakia?”</p><p>“He’s still wheezing but conscious, but his leg is starting to swell up. He tried talking, and it sounded very hoarse.”</p><p>“It’s the nematocysts in the tentacles, but whatever you do, do not remove it. From the sounds of it, he may be showing signs of an allergic reaction. Do you know if he is allergic to anything, or does he have an EpiPen nearby?”</p><p>“No, I don’t think so.”</p><p>“Okay, then I want you to keep him lying on the ground, but lift his feet in the air about 12 inches off the ground. Can you do that?”</p><p>“Yeah, yes, I can do that,” Nakia replied as you heard her shuffling through the phone. “What now?”</p><p>“Keep him conscious and calm, but don’t give him anything. Responders are only a few blocks away.”</p><p>“Hey, hey stay with me. Don’t pass out on me,” she ordered. Sirens were coming through the line and when you looked at one of the screens in front of you, you knew they arrived.</p><p>“Oh my god, there here. Over here,” she shouted before she hung up. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi, are you Nakia?” Carol asked, earning a nod and followed her to her fiance. </p><p>Val accessed him over by checking his breathing, response time, and his pulse. “T’Challa, I’m administering you an epinephrine shot now, and a dose of diphenhydramine to help with the itching and pain.”</p><p>Steve stood back and watched Sam and Val working together. He was still surprised with how fast and efficiently they could work together. Sam laid the stretcher on the ground next to him, and on the count of three, Val and Sam moved him onto the stretcher and strapped him in. </p><p>“I thought you needed to urinate on jellyfish stings?” Thor asked, walking beside Sam, who was carrying one side of the stretcher to the ambulance with Steve on the other end. </p><p>“What?” Bucky narrowed his eyes at Thor.</p><p>“Yes, it was on the Discovery Channel.”</p><p>“No, Thor. That’s a myth, and it’s not proven to do anything at all,” Sam added, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Really, then why was it on TV?”</p><p>“I don’t know, ask the idiots who said that,” Sam stated, continuing to walk while Thor stopped and turned back around to assist Carol with the lifeguard. </p><p>“Had to hurt the big guys' feelings?” Val asked with a hint of amusement in her voice. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I’ll apologize later.” Sam waved it off. </p><p>Bucky held the cot still as Sam and Steve put him on to it and slid him into the ambulance. Val quickly got into the ambulance and started administering oxygen. Nakia hopped into the back, and Steve shut the doors, tapping on the back, signaling to Sam it was safe to take off to the hospital. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Chapter 7! She is all moved in and what a crazy fun adventure to the furniture store. And let's be real, who doesn't want to get the best deal possible, even if it means fudging the truth a little bit! Haha! In case you haven't noticed yet, I am someone who loves to throw in pop culture references, and in this case, it was a quote from Stepbrothers and Friends! I couldn't resist! Haha! And finally, Steve and her may be slowly (ever so slowly...relationships take time, right?! Haha!) catching feelings for one another, but will something or someone get in the way? Only time will tell or maybe it’s the next chapter ;) Anyways, I hope you all are enjoying it so far, and kudos and comments are always welcome. Thanks again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You were never the person that loved working out. You hated getting up early and going for a run, having believed that’s what most people did to stay in shape. You never really put much thought into it, but after training with Val, you gained a whole new respect for those who trained people for a living. She would take you through the process of warming up and getting your muscles ready, followed by the hard workout and a cool down. Val has really upped your confidence, too, and she isn’t afraid to push you to your limits and show you what you are capable of. <b><br/></b></p><p>“Girl, you’re killing it for only coming here for 2 weeks.”</p><p>“Thanks, that means a lot.”</p><p>“I remember the first week you came, it was rough, but it usually is for everyone.  Now, I think you could kick a few of my client's asses, who have been training with me for longer than you have. You’re a quick learner, and you listen to what I am saying and want to improve your skills.”</p><p>“That’s what I am paying you for,” you chuckled, getting a laugh out of Val.</p><p>“This is true,” she nodded. “Heard from a little birdie that you got Steve into bed not once but twice. How was he?” she winked, wiggling her eyebrows. </p><p>“What? Who told you that?” </p><p>“The guys were talking about it at work. Steve got all red in the face. It was cute.”</p><p>“Well, I hate to disappoint, but it’s not what you think. We were shopping for a bed, he found a good one, I ended up getting that one, and then I set it up at my place, and we tested it out again. There was no fonduing of any sort.”</p><p>“Okay, whatever you say.” She rolled her eyes. “But, if you are interested, Steve is a helluva good guy.”</p><p>“I know,” you smirked, staring at the ground and biting your lip.</p><p>“Now, if that look could talk.” Your eyes flashed to hers, spotting a knowing smirk on her face.</p><p>“I’m done talking about this.” You shake your head. “But, I’ll see you in a couple of days or sooner, depending if I want to take on the punching bag again.”</p><p>“We are always open,” she chuckled. You zipped up your bag, giving her a small hug before heading out. “Say hi to Steve for me, will you?” </p><p>“You got it,” you shouted, rolling your eyes and walking out of the gym.</p><p>_______</p><p>“Have you talked to your girl lately?” Bucky asked Steve as they played pool at the station.</p><p>“First off, she is not my girl, but we have texted a few times.”</p><p>“Thought you would want to be more involved with her since you got her into bed twice last week,” Sam winked.</p><p>“Come on, guys, it's not like that.” Steve shook his head, fighting the smile on his face as he leaned against the pool cue.</p><p>“You're right, it's more than that,” Bucky smirked, lining up for a shot, but missed the pocket. </p><p>“Says the one dating…”</p><p>“A woman,” Bucky finished for Steve, glaring at him.</p><p>“Wait, you’ve been dating someone?” Sam asked, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at him. “And this is the first I am hearing of this.”</p><p>“It’s only been for a little while.” Bucky shrugged, watching Steve hit his ball into the pocket. “She’s great; super quick-witted, a spitfire, and a badass.” Bucky smiled to himself, making Sam roll his eyes. </p><p>“Happy for you man, I can't wait to meet her.”</p><p>“Really?” Bucky seemed taken aback.</p><p>“Yeah because then I can ask her why she is with you? Doesn't she know there are more options besides you in this world.”</p><p>“Yet, you still don't have a girlfriend with all the single women in LA.”</p><p>“I am waiting for the right one.”</p><p>“But, she'll never come”</p><p>Steve closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath when the station alarm started ringing. Everyone dropped what they were doing, suited up, and got into the truck to head to the scene.</p><p>“We have a car accident involving a Honda CRV off Topanga Canyon Boulevard. The call came in via the Hondalink after their car went off the road and slammed through a guard rail. With the heavy rain happening, it’s not surprising,” Carol stated into her headset before giving orders to the team.</p><p>On-site, Sam and Val got to work on helping the victim. She was still breathing but was unconscious. Bucky got the jaws of life and was able to get the door open as they pulled the young lady out and onto a stretcher. Val grabbed her purse from the car and followed behind Bucky and Sam as they carried her to the ambulance. </p><p>Danvers stared at the old Chevrolet car, rubbing her lips together, trying to process something.</p><p>“You alright, Ace?” Steve asked.</p><p>“This isn’t the right vehicle. This isn’t the car that called in.”</p><p>“But this vehicle went over the guard rail on the same route as the dispatcher mentioned,” Bucky added, pointing at the car. “What are the odds two cars on the same route experienced the same accident?”</p><p>“Not likely, but the call came in via Hondalink from a Honda CRV. This car is too old to be equipped with such a system, and it’s the wrong make and model.” </p><p>“What are you saying?”</p><p>“We have to split up and find the other car. I’m going to get in touch with dispatch and see if Hondalink has GPS coordinates for the CRV and get another ambulance here. Thor, go with Sam to the hospital and leave Val here in case we need a paramedic. Now let’s split up and search.”</p><p>Steve and Bucky started down the hill, taking each step with caution as the ground continued to get slippery from the pouring rain. Steve stumbled over a tree root but caught himself on a tree. He looked to his right, seeing a flowing river and something that shouldn't be there. </p><p>“Buck-” Steve pointed at the river.</p><p>Bucky stopped behind him, looking out to where Steve was pointing. “How did the CRV end up…” Bucky started to say, but Steve was already stumbling down the hill, rushing to the bottom. At the edge of the wide river, Steve noticed how the whole back half of the vehicle was underwater, and if he didn’t look close enough, he would’ve missed it. The hood was visible as if it was caught on something and sitting at a slant, keeping the passenger and driver side windows afloat. </p><p>Steve didn’t waste any time, tossing his jacket and boots alongside the riverbank, jumping in. “STEVE, WAIT,” Bucky called, reaching the bottom, fumbling for his radio. “Ace, we located the CRV in the river. We’re gonna need assistance, but Steve and I are heading out to the vehicle now.”</p><p>“We are on our way,” she replied. “Be safe.”</p><p>"GODAMMIT, STEVE, WAIT UP," Bucky shouted, noticing Steve halfway to the car already. “You and your damn impulse decisions.”</p><p>The current was stronger than Steve was expecting, but he wasn't sure how much longer the car would stay in place. "Hello, is anyone in there," Steve called, swimming up to the vehicle. He quickly assessed the situation and realized the car's front tires were braced against a rock bed. How the vehicle ended up like this; he still wasn’t sure. He looked around at the landscape, noticing a busted guardrail not far from them.</p><p>"HELP, WE’RE IN HERE," a male voice screamed.</p><p>Steve swam to the driver's side door to see a man with an unconscious teenage girl in the passenger seat, he could only assume she was the man’s daughter. There was still a big enough air pocket that they could breathe, but the water level was rising, and the current would continue to pull the car farther underwater.</p><p>"I'm Fireman Steve Rogers from the LAFD, and we’re gonna get you out of here. Are you hurt anywhere?'</p><p>"I'm fine, but I don't know about my daughter. Please help her first." </p><p>Steve nodded as he swam over to the passenger side. He reached up to check her pulse and realized it was weak. "She’s breathing, must’ve got knocked out after crashing through the guard rail, right?"</p><p>“It all happened so fast. One second I could see the road, but then the next second, it was as if it disappeared, and we were sliding over the cliff and into the river.”</p><p>“It's okay, help is here, just stay calm for me,” Steve reassured, looking over the hood of the car to see Bucky approaching and he tilted his head to the driver's seat. </p><p>"Hi, sir, I'm Fireman Bucky Barnes, what’s your name?”</p><p>“Adrian, and that’s my daughter Liz.”</p><p>“Okay, well, we are going to cut the seat belt from you…”</p><p>“What about my daughter?”</p><p>“Steve will do the same for her.” Bucky nodded at him. “We are gonna work together and try to get you both out at the same time.”</p><p>“Oh okay, but....” Adrian's voice drifted.</p><p>“Trust us, okay, I know it’s hard because we just met, but we’ll get you both out.” Bucky nodded his head a bunch, hoping to calm Adrian down. “We're gonna cut these seat belts and pull you both out to safety, okay?”</p><p>“Okay,” he said with tears peaking at the corner of her eyes. “Promise me, that you will get my daughter out.” </p><p>“We promise,” Steve replied with a reassuring nod.</p><p>“And if I don’t get out of here, tell her and her mother, I loved them both.”</p><p>“You can tell them that when we get you both out of here.”</p><p>“Okay, okay, okay,” he sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.</p><p>Steve looked at Bucky, counting to three, and in unison, cut the seat belts. Steve was able to pull Liz to safety and keep her head above water. The car shifted slightly as Steve glanced to the driver’s seat to see Adrian still inside.</p><p>“I guess this is the part where I tell you my leg's pinned, and you tell me that you’re not gonna be able to get me out,” Adrian breathed, shaking his head. </p><p>“Steve, get her to safety, and I’ll figure this out.”</p><p>“Don't do anything stupid until I get back,” Steve replied, swimming her to the shore where Val, Carol, and another paramedics team was waiting. </p><p>“Her pulse is weak, but she's breathing. I don’t know if she sustained any other injuries, but she’s been unconscious since they hit the water.”</p><p>“Thanks. We got it from here,” the woman whose nameplate read Mantis answered while the big guy beside her nodded at him. They got her onto a stretcher, and Steve looked back out to see the CRV still afloat.</p><p>“Steve, you okay with getting back out there to help Barnes, or should I send Val.”</p><p>“No, I’m good, I’m good,” he breathed with his hands on his hips. “I got this,” He nodded, diving back into the water and swimming back out to the car. </p><p>The rain started to come down harder, forcing him to squint his eyes, unable to see Bucky by the driver’s side door. He swam a little farther, and all of a sudden, the car was out of his view. “Crap.” Steve swam faster, yelling Bucky’s name, but no one responded. Once he got to the rock bed that held the car in place, he went under, but he couldn’t see anything under the water. He resurfaced for a deeper breath and dived back down. </p><p>Swimming further down, he could see what looked like headlights on a car.  He swam closer to the front end to see Bucky working from inside the car to get Adrian’s leg free. Steve swam towards the driver's side when Adrain pushed himself out the window. He started swimming up, but Steve noticed how he wasn’t moving one of his legs. Bucky swam out the window, shooting Steve a knowing look before resurfacing. Adrian coughed, trying to stay afloat when Bucky grabbed him and started swimming towards shore. </p><p>"You had to do something stupid, didn't you," Steve asked, swimming next to him.</p><p>“Can’t let you have all the fun,” he smirked, forcing Steve to shake his head.</p><p>________</p><p>“911, what’s your emergency?”</p><p>“I’m at Gas and Grub on West Florence Avenue, and a man is robbing the store.”</p><p>“Sending a unit to your area now.” You switched over and signaled the closest officer nearby. “I need all available units at Gas and Grub near West Florence Avenue. There is a robbery in progress.” </p><p>“10-4, 1578 in route to Gas and Grub,” an officer replied as you switched back to the caller.</p><p>“Units are on their way. Is everything okay? Are you safe?”</p><p>“Yes, I am hiding on the end of one of the aisles,” the voice replied. “The man is wearing a mask, holding a gun, and yelling at the cashier.  He’s asking for all the money in the register, some cigarettes, oh a bottle of Jack, too.”</p><p>“Okay, just stay where you are until help arrives.”</p><p>“I will,” he breathed. “Shit, the cops are coming in now. Damn…they were fast.” The caller hung up, and the line went dead.</p><p>“At least this one ended on a happy note...I think,” you sighed, stretching your hands over your head. You didn’t think you would be this sore today after working out, but you were wrong. Every movement you made sent a numb throbbing pain to that area. Val really did a number on you. You took a quick sip of your water and got resituated when another call came in. </p><p>“911, what’s your emergency?” </p><p>“My neighbor is listening to rap music, and I can’t hear myself think. It’s getting really annoying.”</p><p>“Have you tried going over and asking them to turn it down?”</p><p>“Well, no.”</p><p>“Why don’t you try that and then call the non-emergency line next time. No sense in calling 911 if it’s not a life or death situation.”</p><p>“Okay, I guess I’ll go talk to them.”</p><p>“Good luck,” you sighed, rolling your eyes and hanging up. “Fucking nuisance calls.”</p><p>“Hey, YN,” Bruce greeted, coming over to your station.“We have a caller on the line asking for you specifically. Are you available to take it?”</p><p>“Yeah, of course, put them through.” He nodded, typing on your computer, and you hit the spacebar. “Hi, this is 911 dispatcher YN, how can I help you today?”</p><p>“Hi, YN, it’s Nat.”</p><p>“Why are you calling through my 911 line and not my phone?” You nodded to Bruce, silently saying, you got it covered, and he walked away.</p><p>“It’s kind of a tricky situation, you see. Um…can you just come to 1917 Grand Boulevard when your shift is done, in like ten minutes? It’s important.”</p><p>“Is everything okay?</p><p>“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s not an emergency emergency, but more a friend asking a friend for help, and the only number I have memorized these days is 911, hence why I called you.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll head that way when my shift is done.”</p><p>“Thanks, the spare key is under the plant by the front door.”</p><p>________</p><p>You pulled up to the address Nat gave you, seeing a two-story modern chic house with black and wooden accents. You walked up to the front door, tilting one of the plants, and grabbed the key attached to the bottom. You opened the front door, and the first thought that came to you was a bachelor pad, but it wasn't sports memorabilia hanging on the walls, no. It was NASA and Star Wars memorabilia. Who the hell was Nat ‘hanging out’ with?</p><p>“I’m here, where are you?” You shouted through the empty house.</p><p>“Upstairs and the second door on the right,” she called back.</p><p>“Who’s house is this? It’s like a major nerd bachelor pad. Does this guy work for NASA or something? I never considered planets to be art, but then again...” your voice drifted off, looking at some more space art on the walls. </p><p>You pushed the second door on the right open, and your eyes widened, seeing what was in front of you. One of Nat’s hands was handcuffed to one of Bucky’s, and it was wrapped around the headboard with no way of getting out. They were both still covering the goods, but Bucky’s shirt was off, and Nat was just in her bra and underwear. </p><p>“So, I’m a nerd fanboy with a terrible taste in art?” Bucky inquired, narrowing his eyes at you.</p><p>“Don’t you dare laugh,” Nat said, glaring at you.</p><p>Your whole body started to shake, trying to keep from laughing and only nodding your head, but you couldn’t hold it in any longer. You bent over, hands on your knees and started laughing. “I thought… I thought you two hated each other,” you wheezed between breaths, pointing at them.</p><p>“Until she realized she wanted my…”</p><p>“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” she threatened, covering her hand over his mouth. “And if I remember right, you came onto me.”</p><p>He scoffed. “You wish.”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. “Can you grab the key from my belt, right there?”</p><p>You shake your head, digging around in her police belt. “How long has this been going on?” You asked once you found the key.</p><p>“Not long, maybe a month or two,” Nat answered with a half shrug.</p><p>“A month, really? So, when you guys were yelling at each other at the bar, you were…”</p><p>“Call it foreplay,” Bucky winked, forcing Nat to smirk.</p><p>“Does Steve know?”</p><p>“Who do you think we tried calling first?” </p><p>“Oh, so I’m second best.”</p><p>“We didn’t call Steve, YN. I don’t want his judgy eyes on me for this.”</p><p>“Yeah, we didn’t call him,” Bucky confirmed. “But, I texted him.”</p><p>“YOU WHAT,” Nat yelled, giving him a hard glare.</p><p>“He won’t care. He's my best friend; besides, he’s gotten me out of similar situations before.”</p><p>“That’s not helping your case right now,” she sighed, crossing her arm across her chest.</p><p>“Hey, Buck, is everything, alright?” Steve asked, walking in as his eyes grew wide. “When did--” he cleared his throat to keep from laughing “--when did this happen?”</p><p>“A month or so ago,” Bucky answered. </p><p>“Nat is the woman you have been talking to me about for weeks.” Steve put his hands on his hips, shaking his head.  “Wow, I never would have guessed this.”</p><p>“You told him about us?”</p><p>“No, I just told him I was seeing this woman and how I might have a thing for her. It’s nothing.” Bucky shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, making Nat smirk at him.</p><p>“Alright, so let’s get this awkward situation over with and get you two unlocked then.” You walked over with the key in your hand, but Nat stopped you.</p><p>“Oh no! I didn’t say unlock us. I just want them in my reach. We aren't done yet.” Nat winked at Bucky, and his face lit up like a Christmas tree. </p><p>“Okay, I see how it is,” you smirked, setting the key on the table. “You two kids have fun now.” </p><p>“Don’t speak a word of this to anyone, either of you.” Nat pointed at you and Steve with a harsh glare. </p><p>“Scout’s honor,” Steve signaled with a soft laugh.</p><p>“No promises,” you smiled with a chuckle before walking out the door with Steve in tow. You closed the door behind you and followed Steve down the stairs.</p><p>“I will say, I didn’t think I’d see the day those two got together,” Steve added, shaking his head as he reached the bottom of the stairs.</p><p>“Yeah, me either,” you shrugged. “Here I thought,  Nat hated him.”</p><p>“Same.” You two walked in silence to the front door. “Doing anything fun tonight?”</p><p>“No, I think I had enough excitement for one night,” you chuckled, locking the front door and putting the key back under the plant. “You?”</p><p>“Ah, no. Heading home to watch a movie with Cosmo.”</p><p>“Ahh cute, how is the doggy doing?”</p><p>“He’s getting better, not as skittish anymore, so that’s an improvement.”</p><p>“That’s awesome. Well, don’t let me keep you away from your date. Besides, I have a long-needed shower and a Netflix browsing session to get to.”</p><p>“Browsing session?”</p><p>“You know when you just scroll through everything and can’t find anything to watch, but you find some other things to watch that get added to the list, but nothing like I need to watch this now, kind of movie.”</p><p>“Haha, I have those nights sometimes. Happy browsing, YN.”</p><p>“Bye, Steve.” you waved, getting into your car. </p><p>_________</p><p>After a long day at work and a much-needed shower, you sat down on your couch with a bowl full of popcorn and a glass of wine in hand and turned on Netflix. You clicked through your list a few times when your phone started ringing. Glancing at the screen, you didn’t recognize the number, but it was a California area code, so you figured it was someone from work. “Hello.” </p><p>“Hey.” </p><p>“Who is this?”</p><p>“YN, you know who this is.” Once he said your name, you recognized his voice. You could feel your heart start to race, sending the increasing rhythm to your ears. Your breathing grew heavy and shaky, and it did very little to calm your racing heart. </p><p>“How--” you gulped “--how did you get this number?”</p><p>“Does it matter? When are you coming home?”</p><p>“I’m not….I’m not coming home.” Your hands started to trumble, feeling tears well up in your eyes.</p><p>“YOU DON'T GET TO DECIDE THAT. I DECIDE,” he shouted into your ear, forcing you to squeeze your eyes shut, causing a few tears to slide down your cheeks.  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have shouted. I miss you, and so do all our friends here.” You shake your head, trying to steady your breathing. “They keep asking me where you are, and all I can tell them is that you went on a little vacation with Loki, and then they ask why I didn’t go with you,” he sighed. “You made me feel like an idiot because I wasn’t with you and didn’t know where you were. Do you know what that feels like?” You gulped, trying to find the words to say something, anything, but they never came. “I’m your husband, and I deserve to know when you’re coming back.”</p><p>“I told you, I’m not,” your voice cracked. </p><p>“So, that’s how it’s gonna be. I do this for a living, remember YN, what makes you think I don’t already know where you are?” He went silent for a moment, adding to your frightened state. “When I do come for you, you better hope I am in a better fucking mood because, right now, I want to fucking kill you!”</p><p>You hung up, throwing your phone on the couch. The hair on your arms stood up, and your hands were shaking. You pulled your knees to your chest, crying. You felt so small and weak. It felt like all the progress you made up until this point didn’t matter because once you heard his voice, you were right back to where you started; stepping on eggshells, watching what you say, trying to be the perfect couple in everyone else’s eyes. </p><p>Someone knocking on the door makes you jump and stare wide-eyed at the door. You sniffled, wiping the tears from your eyes, and slowly stood up. The knocking continued to get louder, sending a dull ringing in your ears. You went to the hall closet to grab the wooden baseball bat and went over to answer the door. This is when you wish the door had a peephole or that there were windows by the door, so you could see who it was, but there was nothing to see who was on the other side. You took a deep breath and opened the door with the bat ready to swing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Chapter 8, and talk about a cliffhanger! Any ideas who may be behind the door? 🤔 And what about that little phone call from her ex right before?  Coincidence or am I just messing with you all!? Hahaha! Also, I hope you all are enjoying the Sam and Bucky banter, literally can't wait to get more of it once their show starts! And, finally what did you think about the little predicament Nat was involved in?! 😂😂 Anyways, I hope you all are enjoying it so far, kudos and comments are always welcome. Thanks again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>AN: Flashbacks in Italics</em>
</p>
<p>Someone knocking on the door makes you jump and stare wide-eyed at it. You sniffled, wiping the tears from your eyes, and slowly stood up. The knocking continued to get louder, sending a dull ringing in your ears. You went to the hall closet to grab the wooden baseball bat and went over to answer the door. This is when you wish the door had a peephole or that there were windows by the door, so you could see who it was, but there was nothing to see who was on the other side. You let out a deep breath, opening the door, and swung the bat, but find Steve ducking out of the way before it hit him.  </p>
<p>“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” You dropped the bat as it clattered to the ground and covered your mouth. “Steve...I thought...I thought you were…” Your voice stumbled as you felt more tears run down your cheeks.  “I’m so sorry, Steve. I could’ve really hurt you. I don’t…”</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s okay. I’m fine.” Steve reassured, placing his hands on your upper arms. You tensed up, taking in a sharp breath, and he dropped his hands back to his sides. “Are you okay, YN?” You stared at him as if you didn’t know what to say. Your mouth was opening and closing, but the words weren’t coming to you. “Let’s get inside.” You nodded, turning back around. You walked in and watched him close the door behind him and place the bat from the ground beside it. </p>
<p>“I thought...I thought you were him. He called me, and I thought he was at the door because he found me. And then he wasn’t, and I...I don’t know...” You went over to the couch to sit down, putting your head in your hands as tears continued to fall down your cheeks.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to call Thor?”</p>
<p>“No,” you sniffled, wiping the tears from your eyes. “He’ll just make it another reason why I shouldn’t have my own place.” You glanced over at Steve, and he was shifting back and forth on his feet with his hands in his pockets like he was unsure about what to do next. </p>
<p>The room remained silent, the only noise being your sniffles and shaky breathing. “Who did you think was at the door?” Steve asked, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>“Excuse me?”</p>
<p>“You said you thought I was him at the door.” Steve's eyes traveled to the front door and then back to you. “Are you in some kind of danger?”</p>
<p>You bit your lip, hearing his threat ringing in your ears, staring hard at the floor. “It’s a long story.”</p>
<p>“I got nowhere else to be,” he stated, making you look up at him. </p>
<p>You nodded, sliding over on the couch so he could sit beside you. You let out a shaky breath, not sure where to start this story. “Sorry, do…did you want anything to drink?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m okay, thanks though.” He shot you a warm smile, sitting down next to you but still keeping some distance between you. </p>
<p>You cleared your throat, biting your lip. “Where to start...I was in my junior year of nursing school when I met him at a bar called The 9….</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Hottie, five o’clock,” Wanda whispered in your ear. You glanced over your shoulder to your five o’clock, and Wanda was right; he was handsome. His hair was cut short on the sides, but the top was the perfect length to run your fingers through, and he had just the right amount of stubble.  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey, guess who walked through the door,” Sharon teased, tilting her head to the door. You looked over to find Vis. “Wanda, your man crush is here. Go talk to him.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Not unless YN goes and talks to the five o’clock hottie, which we all know will never happen.” Wanda shrugged, and Sharon shot you a knowing look. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Fine, I’ll do it.” You downed the rest of your drink and slammed it on the table. “Watch and learn, ladies.” You turned around and started walking over to him with a smirk on your face, but at the last minute, you turned left and headed to the restroom. You never could flirt on a full bladder. When you walked back out, you could see Sharon shaking her head at you, and you gestured for her to calm down with her hands. You looked at your now ten o’clock to see him still sitting there with a drink in his hand and scrolling through his phone. You let out a deep breath and went over to him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hi, I was asked to come over here and talk to the 5 o’clock hottie in the hopes that one of my friends will finally get the courage to talk to the guy she has been crushing on for the last year.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Really? Do you think it will work?” He asked with a contagious smile on his face.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You glanced over to see Sharon pushing Wanda over to talk to Vis until she finally gave in. Vis smiled once he noticed her and motioned for her to take the seat across from him.“Yeah, it seems to be working. She’s in the red leather jacket talking to the blonde with the glasses.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh, yeah, I see them,” he chuckled, pointing at them. “Billy Russo, studying criminology at John Jay College, but you know me as the 5 o’clock hottie.” He stood up and held out his hand.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“YN Odinson, nursing student at NYU.” You shook his hand with a huge smile on your face. “It’s nice to meet you, Billy.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“After I got to know him and meet some of his friends. I found out his friends called him Billy the Beaut.” You shake your head at the nickname, glancing in Steve’s direction. “At the start, he was the perfect gentleman. He was smart, kind, and loving for someone who was an orphan.”</p>
<p>“He was an orphan?”</p>
<p>“His mom was a meth addict, and his dad left when he was young. He ended up jumping from foster home to foster home until he was old enough to decide what he wanted to do with his life,” you sighed, wringing your hands together. “I looked up to him while I was in nursing school; I knew if he believed in me, I could do anything. My family loved him when I first bought him home. Thor was happy to have someone he could rough house with and talk sports. And my mom and dad were happy I found someone that made me happy. But, Loki, right away--” you let out a deep breath, shaking your head “--didn’t like him. It was kind of weird to see because everyone who met Billy liked him. He had this charming charisma and the good looks that made it easy for people to like him. I think it really bothered Billy that Loki never liked him, but it’s not like he was the first person.” </p>
<p>“Maybe Loki picked up on something no one else did.”</p>
<p>“It’s possible--” you shrugged “--but after graduation, my friends and I decided to go out and celebrate….</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“How do you think you did on Dr. Coulson’s final?” Wanda asked, taking a sip of her martini. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I thought it was pretty easy, but I studied my ass off for his final. It even frustrated Billy because I wasn’t giving him any attention his past week,” you joked.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Wanda let out a worried chuckle. “How have you two been doing? I feel like we haven’t hung out in forever.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I know, Billy keeps me busy. When I’m not with Billy, I’m either working or doing homework. This semester has been crazy.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I agree with that.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Ladies, are we done talking about school? We have taken finals and are pending graduation; it’s time to drink and forget everything we learned,” Sharon shouted, following it with a woooo.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah, no, I am not a woo girl, and don’t make me one,” you joked with a smile on your face. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Let’s take a group selfie together.” You all smiled for the first one but then took a serious one and then a fun one. You sent the fun one to Billy, and he replied with, be safe. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Excuse me, ladies, but these drinks are from the gentleman at the far table over there.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Aww, that is so nice of them, but I have a boyfriend,” Wanda stated matter of fact. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Thanks to me,” you added, forcing her to roll her eyes. “I would’ve rather got some food.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Stop complaining and enjoy the free drinks,” Sharon smiled, waving at the guys who sent them over.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Many drinks later and pictures taken, you were on the dance floor with the one they called Killmonger. He knew how to move, and you were struggling to keep up with him; Odinsons weren’t built to dance like this. He smiled, making you stop, and told you to follow his movements. It took you a while to get the moves down, but once you did, it turned out to be a lot fun. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Someone from behind you grabbed your hand and turned you around. You smiled once you saw it was Billy, and you put your arms around him. “Killmonger, this is my boyfriend, Billy. I told you about him.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s nice to meet you, Billy.” He held out his hand to him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah, pleasure,” he shook his hand, glaring at him. ”YN, I’m going to take you home, so go get your things.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Okay.” You walked back to the table to say goodbye to Wanda and Sharon and grab your purse and jacket. “Hey, I’m heading out, it looks like Billy surprised me and wants to take me home.” You smiled at them, but their eyes remained focused on the dance floor. You turned around to see what they were looking at, Killmonger and Billy were in each other's faces. You ran back out to the dance floor and got in the middle of them. “NO, BILLY STOP. He didn’t do anything; we were just dancing.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“He should keep his hands to himself and not try to get with another man’s girlfriend.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Dude, I wasn’t. Like she said, we were just dancing.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Billy, forget about it. Let’s turn around and get out of here.” You pushed his chest, and he backed away with his hands up. You saw something unsettling dark in his brown eyes, and it made you nervous.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Okay, fine.” He turned around and grabbed your hand, squeezing it hard. You looked back at Killmonger and mouth sorry, and he held up his hands like it was all good.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When you got out of his car, he pushed you against the side of it, grabbing both of your wrists. “Tell me you won’t do that again.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Do what? Dance?” You asked, and he squeezed his hands around your wrists, making you wince. “Billy, stop, you’re hurting me.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Well, watching you dance with another guy hurt me, so don’t you think you should know what that feels like.” He squeezed harder, and you tried to break his grip, but he continued to squeeze. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Billy, stop.” Your eyes started to fill with tears. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Not until you apologize for hurting me.” You didn’t think he could squeeze any harder but he did. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Okay, I’m sorry,” you cried, and he let go. He wrapped his arms around you, hugging you as you cried into his shirt, and held you close. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m sorry, too.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“On the drive back, he told me how he hated my friends and how they were a bad influence on me. I told him we were celebrating and having fun, and he needed to get over it. Then, he punched me, but like before, he apologized right away and comforted me.</p>
<p>A few months later, he proposed, and I said yes. Everyone was happy for me, but Loki. He was the only one who told me I was making a horrible mistake. I should’ve listened to him because it only got worse.” You paused, shaking your head at the terrible memories. “After we got engaged, I started to notice how he would make offhand remarks about how I dressed and about my friends. It wasn’t so much physical as it was mental, but after a while, it changed...</p>
<p>  </p>
<p>
  <em>You were at the kitchen sink, washing dishes from the other night when Billy came home with a big smile on his face.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey hon, guess what happened at work?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You got the promotion?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I got the promotion,” he smiled, coming over and wrapping his arms around your waist, kissing your neck. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Congratulations,” you smiled, turning around in his arms and kissing him on the lips.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I think we should celebrate with the wine and the glasses your parents got us for our engagement.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I thought we were going to wait until our wedding day.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why wait, when this is huge news.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Okay,” you agreed, forcing a small smile as you patted his chest, and he leaned down to kiss you again. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He reached into the top cabinet and pulled out two wine glasses with the date of our soon-to-be wedding on them and a bottle of wine. He grabbed the corkscrew opener out of the drawer, slammed it shut, making you jump, and he popped the cork out. He poured two even glasses of wine and handed you one. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“To the better days ahead of us,” he toasted with a smile, and you hit your glass with his. When the wine hit your lips it tasted divine, and you wish you would’ve waited until the wedding, but you understood how hard he worked to get this promotion, and he deserved this. “Let’s forget the dishes and go out onto the patio and finish off this bottle of wine; what do you say?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No excuse, coming from me,” you smiled, following him out with the glass in your hand. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Wait,” he came to an abrupt stop, and you ran into his back, forcing the glass to slip through your fingers and smash onto the floor into tiny little pieces. Your hand quickly covered your mouth when he turned around. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hon, this is why we can’t have nice things. I try to be spontaneous and romantic, and you ruin it with your clumsiness. Do you want us to have a broken marriage because right now, that’s what it looks like you want.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, I don’t; I’m sorry,” you whimpered, backing away from him. “It’s just you...you stopped really quick, and I bumped into you, and it fell out of my hands.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh, so this is my fault.” His eyes darkened, standing over you, and you gulped. He set the bottle of wine and his glass on the table beside you.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“No, I didn’t say that.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s like you never learn,” he sighed with his hands on his hips. “How many times are we going to have to go through this until you finally get it?” He shook his head, slapping you across the face. </em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“After he hit me, I left him and went to Loki. I told him what’s been happening, and he wanted me to end the engagement. I never did because Billy did what he always did after he hit me, he showed up being all caring and apologetic, and I would fall for it and go back to him. This happened a few times throughout our engagement, and then I made my second mistake; I married him.” You reached for your wine glass on the coffee table and took a long tentative sip. “Are you sure you don’t need anything to drink?”</p>
<p>“No, I’m okay.” Steve nodded, keeping a close eye on you.</p>
<p>You finished off the glass and resituated yourself on the couch. You bit your lip, feeling Steve’s eyes on you. When you peeked up at him, he looked worried, almost scared for you. You returned your eyes back to the couch cushion. “I think I only married him because he made my family happy...while besides Loki.  Everyone got along with him so well, and I don’t think I wanted to take that away from them.” You shrugged, rubbing your forehead. “Loki was disappointed in me and told me he wouldn’t help me anymore if Billy hurt me again. Billy did, but then I went to Thor…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Thor, why don’t you believe me? Billy hit me. How else would I have gotten a busted lip and bruises on my arm?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I don’t know, YN, you have gotten clumsy over the years, so maybe you fell and hit your head and don’t remember.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Then where is the bump on my head.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Look, it was probably an accident; he cares about you way too much to hit you on purpose.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Really? I can’t...I can’t believe you,” you shake your head, feeling tears build up in your eyes.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I am going to call Billy and tell him to come get you, you can talk it out here, but then you both have to go. I have company coming over,” he chuckled with a child-like smile.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You sat there listening to Thor talk to Billy on the phone. Why didn’t he believe you? Oh, because Thor is a selfish, stubborn prick that chose to believe your husband over his own sister. Why you chose to run to him instead of Loki was a mistake you would never make again. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“YN,” Billy said in a calm voice. “What’s wrong? What happened to your lip?” You stared at the floor, not wanting to look at him, not wanting to be near him, not wanting to have anything to do with him. He came closer to you and put his hand on your back, making you flinch away from him. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Billy nod over his shoulder. “YN, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I took work out on you. I’m trying to change. I’ll go talk to someone. I’ll try to be a better man for you, and I promise I am going to make it up to you. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I will think of something great, and you’ll love it. We’ll go away for the weekend, go hiking, see a movie, whatever you want. Please, forgive me for being an asshole. You’re the only one who understands the real me, and I promise, I won’t make you feel this way again.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You stared into his brown eyes and saw how much pain he was in. It hurt you to know he was feeling this way, and you wanted to make him feel better. You reached over to cup his cheek, and he leaned into your touch. Your lip twitched up into a small smile, and he leaned over, placing a soft kiss on your lips.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I love you,” he whispered, kissing you again.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Me too,” you smiled, leaning into this touch to hug him. “I forgive you, and I’m sorry, too.”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And just like that, I forgave him. Why did I always forgive him? I don’t know. He always had these puppy dog eyes he would pull and make me feel sorry for him. But, every time he hit me, I would forgive him and apologize for making him feel that way. It was like a trigger in my head forcing me to tell him I’m sorry when I did nothing wrong.” You shrugged, running your hand through your hair. </p>
<p>“What happened after?” Steve leaned forward, trying to catch your eye to get you out of your head. </p>
<p>“Thor moved here and decided to become a firefighter. I thought he was joking, but surprise, he wasn’t.” You wring your hands together, chewing on your bottom lip. “Looking back, I remember seeing these women come into the hospital regularly saying they fell down the stairs, dropped something on their face, making excuses for someone that was hurting them. I didn’t understand why they didn’t just leave; I mean, it’s not that hard. Why would you want to stay with someone who continues to hurt you? But, here I was living the same way they were, making up excuses for him and believing that one day he would change.”</p>
<p>“Did your parents ever suspect something was going on?”</p>
<p>You nodded. “My mother, Frigga, sensed something was happening, and Loki may have even told her about it. She did ask me about it once before she died...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“YN, darling, how are you and Billy doing?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“We’re happy,” you replied, forcing a tight smile.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s a lying smile if I’d ever seen one,” she smiled, putting her hand under your chin so you would look up at her. “What’s wrong?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Nothing, we’re fine,” you stated with a scratchy voice. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She placed her hand over yours, and your eyes flashed to her. “Sweetheart, me and your father, want you to be happy, and if that’s not with Billy, then it’s okay. The only reason we took to him so fast was because we have never seen you so happy, but it feels like something has changed between you two.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s nothing. Billy still makes me happy, but sometimes he gets angry, and I can’t bring him back.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I know, sweetie, but I want you to know you’re always welcome home at any time.” She gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. “If it’s to get away for a while or take some time for yourself. ”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I know, mom. Thank you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“Looking back now, I realized she wanted me out of the relationship as much as Loki did.” You shake your head. “Loki told me after she passed away that she knew what was going on. She wanted to help me, but all I did was push her away, and I did the same thing to my dad before he passed away. I think the only reason I didn’t ask for help was because I was scared of what Billy would do to those who wanted to protect me.” </p>
<p>“What made you finally want to leave him?” </p>
<p>“I don’t know because it wasn’t one fight that triggered it, but we did fight the night before I left, but that’s beside the point. It was just exhausting being his wife and trying to be the perfect couple. Every event I went with him to, I had to smile for every picture, stand by his side, and be a proud wife for all he accomplished. If I wasn’t perfect while you can just imagine what he would do,” you gulped, noticing Steve clench his jaw.</p>
<p>“And I was tired of fighting and walking on eggshells around him. Trying not to say or do the wrong thing that would set him off. He started to get more controlling, and he always wanted to know where I was when I wasn’t home or at work. He never let me go out with my friends, which forced me to lose a few friendships I cherished.” You shake your head as you let out a sigh.</p>
<p>“I didn’t drop everything and leave on a whim; I made a plan. It took me four months, but it worked. I saved up enough cash, told my boss why I had to quit, and she was happy for me; I got this anti-tracker app for my phone, told Loki the plan, took one of his cars here, and showed up on Thor’s front step. He finally believed me, and I think the bruised ribs and black eye helped bring him to that conclusion... </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>You rang the doorbell, not knowing if Thor was home or at work at one of the many fire stations in this city. You fiddled with the loose strand of fabric on your sweatshirt as you waited. No one was home, but you didn’t have anywhere else to go, so you sat on the steps with your luggage beside you and waited. You needed to get out of your head, but you couldn’t. All that came to your mind was the fear of what will happen when he finds you. What is he gonna do to you? Your eyes remained focused on the uncut grass in front of you as you pulled your cap closer to your eyes. Every car that drove past made your heart speed up, thinking it was him. Your eye throbbed like it had its own heartbeat, and every deep breath you took felt like a stabbing pain. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“YN, what are you doing here?” Thor asked, making you jump and place your hand over your heart. Your eyes connected with his, and his expression went from joy to concern. “What happened? Are you okay?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>You shook your head when the tears you were holding in started to fall. You wiped the tears away with your sleeve and looked at him. “I couldn’t do it anymore,” you sniffled.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“YN, who did this to you?” Thor sat down next to you and placed a tentative hand on your shoulder, causing you to tense up before you relaxed. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Are you gonna believe me this time?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He removed his hand from you and let out a deep breath. “Billy. He did this to you?” He asked more so than making a statement.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Not the first time either,” your voice cracked, feeling a lump in your throat. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m the worst brother ever,” he sighed beside you. “I don’t…I’m sorry for not believing you. I was an arrogant, selfish moron.” He slid closer to you and took a deep breath. “I thought...I thought you were happy and I didn’t have to worry about you. I trusted him to take care of you, not fucking hurt you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Me too,” you cried, leaning over to rest your head on his shoulder. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Does Loki know?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Loki’s known the longest.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He nodded. “I’ll call Loki to tell him you made it here.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Thank you.” You leaned over and hugged him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You’re welcome.” He rubbed your back. “And I promise you, Billy won’t get anywhere near you; I know a lot of cops,” he stated with slight humor and anger in his voice.  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What happened to your long hair?” You hugged him close, noticing how short his hair was. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh ah…some old man chopped it off,” Thor replied, letting out a defeated sigh.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“How is your brother doing with everything now?”</p>
<p>“He’s a lot more protective, sometimes a little too protective,” You breathed a chuckle, forcing Steve to crack a smile. “I was only going to stay for a month or so, but he convinced me to stay and start over. Even got me a job, and looking back, I realized it was the best decision I have made for myself in a long time.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t Billy know where you are?” </p>
<p>“The thing about Billy is--” you sighed, meeting Steve’s eye “--is he never asked a lot of questions. The only time he took an interest in my life was when it was beneficial to him. As strange as it sounds since we were married for six years, Billy has no idea where Thor lives or that he’s a firefighter.” You bit your lip, shrugging your shoulders. “But I know it’s only a matter of time before he figures it out and finds me.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you mean if he finds you?” Steve narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to figure out the answer himself.</p>
<p>“No. Finding people is part of his job. Figuring out their habits, retracing their steps, and so on. He’s quiet, sneaky, and might already know where I am and is waiting for the right time to strike.” Your eyes flickered to the front door and then back to Steve. </p>
<p>“Don’t think like that.”</p>
<p>“How can I not?” You shrugged. “I mean, I already feel like someone is watching me. I am constantly looking over my shoulder. I barely sleep; hell, I almost hit you with a bat.”</p>
<p>“But you didn’t,” Steve reassured, scooting closer to you. “Besides, you have way too many people that care about you, and they won't let anything happen to you.”</p>
<p>“I know, but you don't know him.” You shake your head, running your hand through your hair. “You don't know what he’s capable of.” Your voice cracked, staring down at your shaky hands. Steve reached over and hesitantly placed his hand over yours, and you looked up at him. </p>
<p>“I can say everything is going to be okay like everyone has been telling you, but you’re right, I don’t know what he is capable of, and I don’t know what the future brings,” he breathed, giving your hands a soft squeeze. It sent a warmth coursing through your body, easing your body to relax. “In these moments, life is tricky, but if you continue to hide and live in the past, it tells him he won. But if you break down barriers, and dare to move on and live in the present, then you won. It’s hard to move on, trust me, I know, but it gets easier with time.” </p>
<p>You scoffed. “It’s always about time.” </p>
<p>“It is, and no one ever gives you a direct answer of how long it will take,” he said, narrowing his brows together. “I’m happy for you, though. You got out, and that is always the hardest part. I’m sure there were moments when the idea of getting out felt impossible, but you’re here now. You trusted yourself and got out, and look how far you’ve come.” He gave your hands one more reassuring squeeze before he brought his hands back to his lap. </p>
<p>You let out a deep breath, your racing mind coming to a stop. “Thanks, Steve.” </p>
<p>He nodded, shooting you a small smirk. “You mentioned finding people was part of his job; what does he do for a living?”</p>
<p>“He helps run a private detective agency called Anvil.”</p>
<p>“Anvil.” He furrowed his brows together, leaning back against the couch. “Why does that name sound so familiar?”</p>
<p>“They helped solve a lot of big cases.”</p>
<p>“Didn’t they assist the FBI with the Arson Artist case like a year or so ago?” He asked, peeking over at you.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that one sounds familiar.” You bit your lip, trying to remember who he was. “Wasn’t he the guy targeting first responder's families because they kept putting out his works of art he created through arson.”</p>
<p>“I think the word he used was destroying them,” Steve sighed, clenching his jaw.</p>
<p>“What was his name again?”</p>
<p>“Alrich Killian.” Steve sat up with his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands together, and glanced over at you.</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s it; how did you know that?” You questioned him, but then you answered your own question. “Oh, wait, you used to live in Brooklyn.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but I did talk to Anvil when I was brought in for questioning.”</p>
<p>“Really? Why were you brought in?”</p>
<p>“I know a few people who lost someone in those attacks,” he answered, staring down at the floor and letting out a deep breath. </p>
<p>“I’m so sorry, Steve. That’s awful.” You reached out and placed a comforting hand on his forearm. </p>
<p>“Yeah, it was. It was tough watching my colleagues go through it.” He nodded, staring wide-eyed at the coffee table before they traveled to your hand on his forearm. He placed a hand over yours as his eyes met yours. “It had to be hard saying goodbye to someone before you left for work, not realizing that would be the last time.” The look in his eyes was all too familiar to you. It was one you have seen one too many times in the mirror yourself; it was pain. You gulped, squeezing his forearm once more as you pulled your hand back to your lap.</p>
<p>“I can’t even imagine.” You rubbed your lips together, not knowing what to say.</p>
<p>“And with it being such a traumatic event, all of us were advised to talk with our department therapist, and many of us did. I think it helped all of us, and it makes me happy that I chose a profession that is willing to take care of their employees.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s awesome. It’s the same at my job.” You nodded with a warm smile. “If I’m being honest, you’re one of a few I’ve talked to about Billy since I got here.”</p>
<p>“Wait, really? Why?”</p>
<p>“It’s not something I want to talk about, and I don’t know how to talk about it.”</p>
<p>“I get it. It’s hard to talk about the past because you can’t erase it, it sticks with you, and the only thing you can do is forgive yourself for what happened and grow from it. Trust me, it’s hard reliving those memories you would rather forget, but it helps to talk about them instead of bottling it up and leaving it for another day.” </p>
<p>“Spoken like a true professional,” you joked, earning a soft chuckle from him.</p>
<p>“Trust me; it will help.”</p>
<p>“I do trust you,” you confirmed, making his smile spread a little wider. “Maybe, I’ll give it a chance.”</p>
<p>“Is that the time--” he pointed to your clock on the wall and whistles “--I should get going. I have a shift in five hours.” </p>
<p>“I’m so sorry this is my fault.” Your smile turned into a frown, running a hand through your hair. “I was going on and on about my…”</p>
<p>“Hey, hey,” he interrupted you, holding up his hands. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. It happens, we lost track of time.” You nodded with a tight smile.</p>
<p>“I’ll show you out.” You went and opened the front door when he stopped and turned around to face you. He was close enough that you could see he had little specks of green in the blue of his eyes you hadn’t noticed before. </p>
<p>“Oh, the reason I stopped by was I wanted to give you a housewarming present.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a billiard number 8 ball on a keychain. </p>
<p>“Is this because I beat you,” you smiled as he placed it in your hand.</p>
<p>“You caught me on an off day,” he joked, putting his hands in his pockets, walking the short distance to the stairs connected to the small porch. </p>
<p>“Keep telling yourself that punk, but thank you.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome.” He stopped and turned around. “Are you going to be okay after I leave? I could call your brother on my way home.”</p>
<p>“I’ll be okay, but I appreciate it. If you didn’t show up, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”</p>
<p>“Happy to help, and if you ever need to talk, my ear is always open,” he smiled, stepping down the stairs. “Have a good morning, YN.” </p>
<p>“You too, and have a safe shift,” you waved, closing and locking your door behind him. You looked down at his gift, and it brought a smile to your face. It was a silly gift, but the memory behind it made it more meaningful.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Part 9! We finally got to learn about her tragic past, and I hope some of you got answers. We also got to learn who her husband was, and for those of you who don't know who Billy Russo is, he is the beaut off The Punisher. Was anyone surprised? I thought putting him in the part made more sense because Brock Rumlow would be too obvious, and I felt like he didn't fit the part as well as Russo did. And what about Thor coming to the realization of what was happening to his sister when she showed up on his steps? Do you still think he still regrets not noticing it sooner? And Steve, could the reason he left Brooklyn be because of what happened to his friends during the Arson Artist mess, or was it something else? All these questions, so little answers! Haha! Hope you all are still enjoying it after this deep part. Remember likes, reblogs, and comments are always welcome. Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thor walked up to the gate to your condo to find a couple of guys installing a camera and a gate lock mechanism. “Hello, gentlemen. Who are you, and what are you doing to my sister’s gate?” Thor asked, crossing his arms across his chest. </p><p>“Whoa, big guy.” The guy on the ladder held up his hands. “I’m Dave, and he’s Kurt. We’re from X-Con Security Consultants--” he pointed to his shirt with the name stitched on it “--and we’re installing a new security system update for Ms. Hill.”</p><p>“The lady asked for an installation, and we do it,” Kurt mentioned with a Russian accent.</p><p>“Huh, okay then, as you were, gentlemen.” He nodded, continuing through the gate and going to your front door. </p><p>You were making a batch of your mom’s cookies when you heard an unexpected knock at the door. Setting down your cookie scoop, you wiped your hands clean to answer it. “Hey, Thor. Whatcha doing here? Thought you had a shift today.”</p><p>“I do, an overnight shift,” He pointed over his shoulder. “Why are their strange men at your front gate?”</p><p>“You’re one to talk, ladies man,” you scoffed, rolling your eyes. You turned away from the door, allowing him to come in as you returned to the kitchen. “If memory serves me right, you had plenty of strange women over at strange hours of the day.”</p><p>“Come on, they were my friends,” Thor reasoned, following you to your kitchen. “I love women, but you know, not in a creepy way.” </p><p>“Fine, if you must know, I mentioned to Maria about updating the front gate’s security system with a code and buzzer mechanism, and she thought it was a good investment for the property. The other tenants thought it was a great idea, too, so we're all going to pitch in and help pay for the upgrades. Plus, it will help me sleep better at night.”</p><p>“Oh, so it’s an investment. It’s not because you almost hit Steve with the bat the other day.” You averted your eyes to the cookie dough bowl, chewing on your bottom lip.  “This is what I didn’t want to happen, YN. I knew you would move out, and you wouldn’t feel safe and…”</p><p>“I know, Thor,” you interrupted him, your eyes connecting with his. “But, it’s going to take time for me to adjust and feel safe. This new gate code system will just help me sleep better at night because I will know who is here before I let them in.”</p><p>Thor nodded, keeping a watchful eye on you. “I understand, but why didn’t you tell me Billy contacted you?”</p><p>“I can’t rely on you every time,” You sighed, shrugging your shoulders. “I have to learn how to fight my own battles again, and you have to be able to trust me.”</p><p>“I DO!” He raised his voice, making you flinch, then he immediately dropped his voice. “It’s Billy I don’t trust, and if he thinks he can hurt you, again, he’s got another thing coming.”</p><p>“I know, I know.” You shake your head, pinching the bridge of your nose. </p><p>“I just want you to know you're not alone here. You have me, Nat, Carol, and everyone else at the station.” He reached out, giving your shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You have improved so much since you arrived, and I don't want to see you revert back to your old ways. You have no idea how proud of you I am, and I trust you with whatever you decide to do. I want you to know I’m here for you.” You nodded with a small smile. “On another note, I’m glad you finally talked to someone about Billy.”</p><p>“You mean Steve.” You eyed him over, not missing the side grin appearing on his face. “Why did he tell you about what happened?” </p><p>“He was worried about you and thought I should be aware of what occurred,” Thor replied, scratching his head. “When we work these long shifts together, we learn many things about each other; Stories are told, secrets are shared, and we learn to trust one another. Although he never did say why he stopped by that night?”</p><p>“He gave me a housewarming present.”</p><p>“Is that what they call it these days?” He winked with a carefree smile on his face. </p><p>“Oh my god, STOP.” You felt your cheeks grow warm, throwing a ball of cookie dough at him. He caught it, chuckling and popped it in his mouth.</p><p>“You should see your face right now. All flushed and agitated.” He motioned to his face as you covered yours in your hands. “Your hands aren’t stopping that blush color coming through on your face. If I didn’t know any better, I would think you got a sun-burn, but let’s get to the real reason, you have a crush on Steve.”</p><p>You removed your hands from your face, staring him down. “Okay, sure…maybe I do. He’s a great guy with a caring personality but…but I’m not ready for a serious relationship.”</p><p>“Neither is he, that’s why you two are perfect for one another,” he grinned, making you shake your head. </p><p>_____</p><p>Steve startled awake from something crashing to the floor in the communal kitchen. He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes, and let out a long yawn. The last twelve hours have been a blur from the restaurant fire to a car accident to an ax-throwing competition. It felt like call after call came in with little to no recovery time in between. Steve glanced at his watch as he sat up and pulled on his boots. He sighed, realizing he only got about four hours of sleep, but lack of sleep comes with the territory. He ran his hands through his hair, walking into the kitchen, taking a seat at one of the stools by the island. </p><p>“You’re up early,” Carol commented, sweeping up a broken dish.</p><p>“A crashing sound startled me awake,” he smirked, forcing her to roll her eyes.</p><p>Carol dumped the remnants of the ceramic dish in the garbage before grabbing two coffee mugs from the cabinet. She poured coffee into each of them and handed one to Steve. Steve nodded to her as a thank you and blew the steam off the top of the hot liquid. “Did you want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or oatmeal with some peanut butter to go with your coffee?”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Oh please, don’t act all innocent. I know you’re the one who’s been eating Sam’s peanut butter, not Bucky.” Carol narrowed her eyes at him, and he raised his hands in surrender.</p><p>“Guilty,” he smirked. “It’s so good, though, especially in oatmeal. I’m still surprised they haven’t figured it out yet.”</p><p>“Those two share a deep tolerable dislike for each other that even I can’t explain how it works. They get along but don’t get along, but somehow work really well together. It shouldn’t work, but it works. I don’t know; it still baffles me. I’m sure if you confessed, Sam would think you were only covering for Bucky anyways.” She shook her head, and Steve nodded his head in agreement. </p><p>“I wouldn’t expect anything less from those two,” Steve chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. </p><p>“YN told you, didn’t she?”</p><p>“Told me what?”</p><p>“I might have overheard you and Thor talking about it, but she told you about Billy the douche?”</p><p>“Oh...um...yeah.” He shrugged. “I went to her house after she got a call from said douche, and she almost hit me with a bat.”</p><p>“Good,” Carol chirped as Steve snapped his head to her. “Well, not good she almost hit you, but good that he doesn’t have that control over her anymore.”</p><p>“I agree.” He stared down at the contents in his mug. “Billy sounds like a real piece of work.”</p><p>She hummed in agreement. “I know you’re a good guy, but I want you to know if you hurt her, I’ll kick your ass.”</p><p>“Oh, trust me, I would never hurt her like that, but I’m not ready for a relationship.” </p><p>Carol smirked at his response, remembering you saying this whenever she tried to find you a new man. “What? Don't you like her?”</p><p>“No, no, it’s not like that at all. She’s…she’s great. It’s just…” Steve fumbled over his words.</p><p>“Oh, he hesitated,” Sam added, taking the stool next to Steve. Steve glanced at him, seeing a huge, gap-tooth smile on his face. “He’s into her.”</p><p>“It’s not that I’m not, it’s just that I have been through some things, and I know she has been through some things, very recently. I don’t want to push her if she’s not ready.”</p><p>“Well, you’re getting pushed into the friend zone, Steve,” Bucky added, taking the other stool next to him.</p><p>“Come on, don't say that...it's just...it's…”</p><p>“Called the friend zone,” Sam finished for Steve.</p><p>“Okay, fine, then why am I planning on hanging out with her later.”  </p><p>“Keyword is hangout as in not a date so…” Bucky dragged on.</p><p>“Friend zoned,” Sam and Bucky said in unison.</p><p>Steve shakes his head, letting out a big sigh. “You two are unbelievable, but at least you two finally agree on something.” Sam and Bucky both looked at each other with a slight shrug and nod. </p><p>“Who are we speaking about,” Thor asked, patting Steve on the back.</p><p>“YN,” Carol smiled, forcing Steve’s eyes to meet hers.</p><p>“It’s not what you think. We were…”</p><p>“Steve wants to ask her out on a date,” Sam added, getting off the stool and walking over to the cabinet where his peanut butter was.</p><p>“Is that right? You--” he gestured to Steve with a slight smirk on his lips “--you want to date my sister.” Thor shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle, grabbing a mug from the cabinet and filling it up. “I like you, Steve, I do, and out of all these morons, I find you are the most suitable to date her. I think Loki may even approve of you, too, but he may be skeptical of you. He might even mock you upon meeting you, but he means well.”</p><p>“Thanks, but I wasn’t asking for your permission to do anything.”</p><p>“OOOOH, Thor, are you going to let him talk to you like that,” Sam hollered, pulling his peanut butter from the cabinet and unscrewing the lid.</p><p>“I didn’t mean it to come out like that.”</p><p>“Sure you didn’t,” Thor joked with a carefree smile. “Sure you didn’t,” he stated more seriously this time, eyeing Steve over, taking a sip of his coffee.</p><p>“GODDAMMIT, BUCKY! Why do you always eat my peanut butter? It wasn’t this empty the last time I opened it,” Sam shouted, giving Bucky a stern look as Carol shot Steve an all-knowing smirk.</p><p>_____</p><p>You stepped into Jabari Tribe Training Center, hearing the whirls of the jump ropes hitting the mats and the punches hitting the heavy bags. Everything in this gym was nerve-racking to you at first, but now it excited you. This gym was a little more run-down than most and could be unpleasant to some, but you found the dedicated atmosphere inspiring. </p><p>You went to the locker room to get ready for your session, feeling your stomach tingling with nerves. Val had a last-minute schedule change at the station, so she wouldn’t be training you today; instead, she scheduled you with M’Baku, who in the ring was known as the Great Gorilla. You’ve watched him coach a few athletes, and he was intimidating. He stood tall and broad, and he’d always do his signature gorilla bark to get himself or his trainees fired up. He was a scary dude! Val knew your movements and boundaries, but this guy wouldn’t, and you weren’t sure how this session was going to go. </p><p>You grabbed your boxing gloves and walked out to find M’Baku by the ring talking to one of his athletes. “Hey, M’Baku, I’m YN. Val mentioned you would be helping me with my session today.”</p><p>He looked at you with a stern glare and nodded to his trainee that they were finished. He looked back at you with a snarl on his lip before a smile broke out across his face. “Yes, you were told right. She told me about where you are, and I will say it’s impressive since you only started a few weeks ago.”</p><p>“Oh...um, thanks,” you smiled, feeling a warmth rush to your cheeks.</p><p>“Ready?” You nodded. “Okay, we will do some warm-up exercises, hit the heavy bag, ring work, stretch it out, and call it a day. Does that work for you?”</p><p>“Sounds great.”</p><p>“And if there is something you are not comfortable doing, or you don’t know what something is just ask. I won’t bite...hard.” He let out a deep chuckle, making you crack a smile.</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>“Let’s get started.”</p><p>It was a quick warm-up with some basic stretches, squats, jump ropes, and rowing. There were a few stretches you didn’t know what they were, and M’Baku showed you what to do and explained what muscles it was stretching. He couldn’t stress enough how stretching and warming up helped reduce injury and how it would improve your recovery time. M’Baku was knowledgeable, and you could tell he loved what he did.</p><p>Every time you worked on the heavy bag, it intimidated you because it was a constant mind game with yourself. You had to think about every punch you threw, making sure to hit it with your knuckles; otherwise, you could sprain your wrist, or worse, break it. You had to move around the bag with quick feet while throwing jabs, hooks, and uppercut punches. It wasn’t a natural feeling you had with the bag like many others did; this is why you preferred sparring in the ring.</p><p>You could feel his eyes watching you as you hit the bag with your straight and hook punches. The bag moved slightly as you switched positions and hit the bag from a different angle. </p><p>“Okay, stop,” M’Baku called out, and you dropped your hands to your side. “I am not getting anything from you. You’re too quiet, stiff. Loosen up, girl, let out a grunt, roar, or better yet, bark. Do the…do the gorilla bark.” He raises his eyebrows at you, and you shake your head. </p><p>“I’m not doing the gorilla bark,” you whizzed with your hands on your hips, taking deep breaths. He stared at you, narrowing his eyes before he started barking. “Still not doing it.” He stepped closer to you, barking louder as he walked circles around you. You rolled your eyes, taking a deep breath, and finally let out a bark.</p><p>His face broke into a smile, and he nodded. “Thata girl. Now get into it, have fun with it, don’t be so tense, loosen up, and jump around. I’ll demonstrate.” </p><p>He takes his position at the bag, tapping it with his glove before doing a set of punches. It was almost like watching a dance. As it swayed, he would be quick and move and then attack with a series of different shots. He looked so relaxed that it didn’t even seem like he had to think about it. It was like second nature to him. </p><p>“Alright, your turn,” He breathed, looking back at you.</p><p>You shake your head. “I got tired just watching you. You make it look so natural and easy.”</p><p>“It comes with practice, and it doesn’t help you're scared of the bag.” You nodded, giving him a half shrug. “Don’t be scared. Being scared only makes you feel weaker, so you won’t give it your all. Think of it like--” he paused, thinking “--taking a call at dispatch. If you’re afraid, you’ll overthink the situation and make a mistake. If you’re confident and think fast on your feet, it will lead to a better outcome. The more confident you are with yourself, the stronger you will become. Understand?”</p><p>“Yes,” you replied with a nod. “Thank you, I needed to hear that.”</p><p>Sparring in the ring was your favorite. It was the chance to learn how your opponent moved and how to throw a hard punch. With Val, you knew how she moved in the ring and could time when to throw a punch. With M’Baku, you didn’t know what to expect.</p><p>“We are not going to spare,” M’Baku stated as you both got into the ring. He had punching mitts on, and you had your boxing gloves on. “You’re not ready for this,” he chuckled, motioning to himself as you smirked in his direction. “We will do combo drills with your punching technique, watch your stance, and I'll give you a few pointers. I might even show you a few moves, so when you spare with Val again, she’ll wonder where you learned them.”</p><p>“I’m ready.”</p><p>You throw a few punches at his mitts. “You’re doing something wrong. Do you know what it is?”</p><p> “Am I lifting my feet?” You heaved, wiping the sweat off your forehead. </p><p>“So you do know,” he smirked, dropping his hands. </p><p>“Val is always on me about that.”</p><p>“Do you know why she wants you to keep your feet planted?”</p><p>“It keeps me more grounded and gives me better balance. It also helps me hit my opponent harder. If I don’t plant my feet, I will be off-balance making me more vulnerable to my opponent's punches.”</p><p>“Good, yes. I’m glad my coaches are teaching their trainees.” He let out a deep chuckle. “Also, remember to breathe as you throw your punches. The worst thing you can do is forget to breathe.” You nodded.</p><p>After a few more rounds of drills and a lot of great advice from M’Baku, he ended the session.  You went to the side of the ring to get a drink of water. </p><p>“YN, is there a reason you wanted to learn to box or did you wake up one morning and go, ‘I want to fight.’” He asked with curiosity in his eyes. </p><p>You chuckled. “No, not really. I wanted to try something new for once instead of doing the same boring workouts. A friend of mine mentioned Val’s self-defense class, so I tried it out, and it was fun. Then, I asked her about boxing, I was sort of curious about it, and she offered to train me. Plus, it’s a good workout.”</p><p>“It is a great workout,” he chuckled. “Val is a wonderful coach and does a great job teaching that class. I’m glad you gave boxing a chance, and you like it so far.”</p><p>“It’s been fun,” you smiled with a nod. “And thanks for coaching me today.”</p><p>“Anytime,” he said, waving it off. </p><p>M’Baku's other client showed up, so he told you what stretches to do to cool down and to drink plenty of water. Good hydration leads to better recovery. It was really different working out with M’Baku, but it was a good different. He came off as intimidating and cold, but he was the complete opposite. He was knowledgeable and helpful, and you couldn’t wait for your next session with Val to show her the moves he taught you. </p><p>______</p><p>“Anyone have any exciting plans for the evening?” Thor asked, unloading the duffle bags from one of the hatches of the truck.</p><p>“Have a drink or two, and fall asleep on the couch,” Val stated, patting him on the back and walking over to restock the ambulance.</p><p>“Going to dinner with my girl,” Bucky winked with a smile on his face. </p><p>“When are we finally going to get to meet this woman? I would like to have a conversation with her about what she sees in you.” Sam joked from the ambulance, earning an eye roll from Bucky.</p><p>“Why don’t you ask her yourself.” Bucky pointed to the door, forcing Sam to get out of the back of the ambulance and see Nat at the door.</p><p>“Good one, Bucky, but I’m being serious. When do we get to meet her,” Sam questioned, looking back at him. Bucky shook his head as Nat went over to Bucky and kissed him on the lips.</p><p>“Does that clear everything up, boys and girls? Bucky and I are dating.”</p><p>Steve smiled at them and got back to work reorganizing the hatches while Thor nodded, giving them a thumbs up.</p><p>“How...wait...when did this happen?” Sam narrowed his eyes at them.</p><p>“We have been dating for a couple of months now,” Bucky smiled down at Nat beside him.</p><p>“Way to go, Buck. Didn’t know you had it in you to handle her,” Val saluted him from the back of the ambulance.</p><p>“Nat, what the heck? I thought we shared a common enemy.”</p><p>“Sorry, Sam.” She shrugged with a tight smile. </p><p>“And here I thought you two were going to keep it a secret,” Steve hinted. </p><p>“Wait, you knew?”</p><p>“Yeah. It’s kind of old news these two.”</p><p>“Congratulations, but can everyone get back to work, so we can head home,” Carol redirected everyone, earning mumbled replies. </p><p>______</p><p>You laid on the couch, turning a page in your book, when there was a buzzing sound at your front door, signaling someone was at the front gate for you. You got off the couch and looked at the new little monitor installed by the door to see Steve waving at the camera. You smiled, buzzing him in. You quickly glanced down at your worn-out t-shirt that had a few holes in it and decided to run up the stairs to find a sweater to cover it up. You were a hot mess, but you didn’t want to look like a hot mess. He knocked on the door as you came down the stairs to answer it.</p><p>“Hey, Steve! What's up?”</p><p>“I was in the neighborhood, and Thor told me about the security upgrade, so thought I'd check it out.”</p><p>“I didn't know you were into security systems,” you smirked, crossing your arms across your chest, leaning against the door frame.</p><p>“Oh yeah,” he huffed out, nodding his head. “I am very tech-savvy; whenever I don’t know something, I just Ask Jeeves.”</p><p>“Wait, Ask Jeeves?” You narrowed your eyes and burst out laughing. “That search engine with the Butler?” He nodded with a slight shrug, putting his hands in his front pockets. “That’s still around? Isn’t it ancient!”</p><p>“Is it?” He chuckled, his signature smirk tugging at his lips. “I’ve used it since high school, but I think the butler retired because it's called Ask now.”</p><p>You shook your head, laughing at his subtleness. You glanced over your shoulder at the blank tv screen and back at Steve, biting your lip. “I was actually gonna watch a movie if you wanted to join me.”</p><p>“Ahh--” he shifted back and forth on his heels “--yeah, sounds fun.” You nodded, opening the door and inviting him in.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading part 10! Looks like her and Steve are finally having a little date/hangout night?! Do you think Steve is getting friend zoned like Bucky and Sam suspect, or do you think he will finally make a move? Or will it be her? I thought it would be funny to throw in that old search engine, Ask Jeeves, some may remember it, some might not have any idea what it is. But I thought it would be a funny throwback and a joke about Steve's age! It's like using map quest and printing out directions instead of using the GPS these days! 😂😂 And what about Thor showing up and being the supportive brother after finding out what happened. He is definitely trying to be better, and he still has no problem teasing her a little bit! Haha! We also found out who the real peanut butter thief was, thanks to Carol for being the observant one! Haha! And isn’t M’Baku the best!! Anyways, comments and kudos are always welcome. Thanks again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a slow day at the call center, which was a good thing, and you couldn’t help but wonder what Steve was planning. Earlier, he texted you, asking if you wanted to get lunch together, and you accepted. It’s been a couple of weeks since you hung out and had a movie night, but since then, you’ve hung out a few other times at your house watching movies and talking. It was innocent fun, nothing serious, two friends enjoying each other’s company. But, you did fall asleep on him one night after a late shift, but luckily, he didn’t seem to mind. Neither of you labeled them as dates because neither of you were looking for a relationship. You both joked about them being dates though, but they never blossomed into anything, even though one night you hoped they would. </p>
<p>Your phone line ringing pulled you from your daydream. “911, what’s your emergency?”</p>
<p>“Um...my daddy can hardly breathe?”</p>
<p>“Okay, hold on for a second, sweetie.” The address popped right up since she was calling from a landline and you dispatched an ambulance to their location. It was much easier to send help when they called from landlines; cell phones were tricky because you needed to go through the carrier if you needed to get their exact location. “The ambulance is on their way.”</p>
<p>“Good...they need to get here real fast,” the little girl said in a calm voice.</p>
<p>“Okay, sweetie, what’s your name?</p>
<p>“Duranna Dey. My daddy’s name is Rhomann Dey.”</p>
<p>“Okay. How old are you, Duranna?</p>
<p>“I am five years old.” </p>
<p>“Okay, Duranna, I need to know if your father is still awake?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. He called 911-- then couldn’t really talk--he gave me the phone then.”</p>
<p>“Your dad is a smart man. Duranna, is your front door unlocked?”</p>
<p>“Uh…is our front door unlocked, Daddy? Uh, no.”</p>
<p>“Okay, Duranna, can you go and unlock the front door for me?”</p>
<p>“Sure…okay, I am going to go. Don’t worry, Daddy!” You heard shuffling over the line. “Front door  unlocked.”</p>
<p>“That’s good, Duranna. Now can you go ask your dad if this has ever happened to him before?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she said as you heard shuffling through the phone. “Dad, has this ever happened before? He says no, and he is still awake.”</p>
<p>“Good. Can you ask him if he has any kind of chest pain?”</p>
<p>“Do you have chest pain? Yes, yes, he does.”</p>
<p>“Okay, hold on for a second, okay, Duranna.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” she replied.</p>
<p>You radioed the paramedics over your headset and told them the situation so they would know what they were walking into upon their arrival.</p>
<p>“I’m back, Duranna. Is he still awake?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, we’re in our jammies. Is that going to be okay, or should we get changed?”</p>
<p>“No, that will be fine,” you smiled at her question. “I need you to stay with your dad to make sure he stays awake.”</p>
<p>“Okay. I got it. Stay calm, Dad.” You could hear sirens coming over the line. “They are here now; should I hang up?”</p>
<p>“Yes, Duranna, you can hang up.”</p>
<p>“Okay, thank you, bye.”</p>
<p>The line went dead, and you couldn’t help but smile. Duranna was one strong, calm, brave little girl in her given situation, where some adults wouldn’t be. It was surprising, and you couldn’t help but praise her parents. You sighed, taking off your headset and setting it on the table as you went on your lunch break. </p>
<p>When you walked out of your building, you saw Steve standing outside holding onto a leash with a beautiful golden retriever attached to it. You smiled, walking right up to them and crouched down to pet him. </p>
<p>“Awww, you must be Cosmo,” you cooed, scrunching up his face in your hands, and quickly licked your cheek. “You’re so cute, yes you are.”</p>
<p>“He wanted to meet you. Wouldn’t shut up about it all morning,” Steve grinned under his baseball cap. </p>
<p>“Well, it is lovely to meet you, too,” You added, bopping him on the nose. You stood up, smiling at Steve. “What are we doing for lunch?”</p>
<p>“Since I brought Cosmo, I thought we could take a stroll through the park. I know there are a few food trucks in the area we could check out.”</p>
<p>“Sounds fun,” you smirked, walking next to Steve with Cosmo out in front. “How has Cosmo been adjusting?”</p>
<p>“He’s doing better. He’s a little off at certain times during the day, but the vet says it’s pretty normal, and it’s all a part of the process.”</p>
<p>“Well, he looks happy.” You let out a soft chuckle, watching Cosmo look around with his tongue hanging out. “And he is so cute.”</p>
<p>“Thanks for the compliment. You know dogs do take after their owners,” he winked, forcing you to roll your eyes.</p>
<p>“Okay, wise guy,” you scoffed, nudging him in his side. “How’s Station 107?”</p>
<p>Steve cleared his throat. “Your brother gave me permission to ask you out a while ago, and he keeps reminding me about it.”</p>
<p>You chuckled. “Did he? Clearly, he doesn’t know how much of a guy you are.”</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?”</p>
<p>“You come off all innocent, but let’s be real, you’re a real troublemaker.”</p>
<p>“I will neither confirm nor deny that information,” he chuckled, waving it off as you shake your head at him.</p>
<p>“It’s crazy how he gave you permission, yet you haven’t done anything about it?” You questioned, narrowing your eyes at him. “And here's Cosmo, who by the way I just met, and he has already gotten further with me than you have.”</p>
<p>“That hurts.” Steve feigned a pained look, holding his hand over his heart. “In my defense, I didn’t want you to feel pressured or pushed into something you weren’t ready for.”</p>
<p>“You never did, and that’s what makes you a good man, Steve,” you confessed, seeing his signature smirk spread across his face.  “But, my life is enough of a mess as it is, and I wouldn’t expect you or anyone else to try and take that on.”</p>
<p>“That’s not it at all. I’m not worried about what happened in your past. I mean, I hate what you had to go through, but it’s never going to scare me off.”</p>
<p>You had no words. No comeback. All you could do was smile. You reached over and grabbed a hold of his hand. “Friends, hold hands, right?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, last time I checked,” he grinned, squeezing your hand. You felt your face heat up under his gaze as you looked away. You tried to weld your lips together, but it was no use. You had a feeling a smile would be plastered on your face all through lunch.</p>
<p>You and Steve settle on getting Mexican at Wade’s Chimichangas truck when you noticed the other truck was an ice cream truck. You stood in line and noticed the guy taking orders was very chatty and looked oddly similar to Ryan Reynolds. </p>
<p>“Next, oh, and what a cute couple you two are,” the Ryan Reynolds look-alike said. “I’m Wade, owner of Wade’s Chimichangas. Oh, and this sugar bear with the mustache behind me is Peter W. He saw my want ad in the paper, and he was an instant hire.” He smiled, but then it quickly turned into a frown. “This is actually the second time I hired him, the first time is when I hired him to be a part of X-force, and he died early on. Then, I time-traveled back in time after stealing this special watch from your universe's Thanos and brought Peter back to life at the end. Oops, spoiler alert,” he shrugged, staring at the empty space beside you. </p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” Steve asked, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to gauge the situation.</p>
<p>“Sorry,” he smiled. “This--” he twirled his finger in the air “--this is the wrong universe. Well, that universe technically doesn’t exist anymore since Mickey Mouse bought out Fox, and I’m not talking about the cute fox from Fox and the Hound either. No siree, this Fox was more expensive than my favorite shoe company’s net worth.” He shook his head back and forth, chuckling. “It’s going to be crazy fun! My place is safe and secure, but can’t say the same for that Australian Showman.” He nodded but stopped when a realization dawned on him. “Oh wait, dammit, he got out a few years too early. What a shame, he’s gonna miss out on some really big paychecks, but who cares about that guy anyway,” he signed. “Anyways, what can I get you two?”</p>
<p>“I’ll take the Almost Famous Chimichanga with rice,” Steve ordered. </p>
<p>“Oh, being safe and not going with beans, smart move, Captain,” Wade replied with a wink. “And for the lady and canine?” You gave Wade your order and ordered Cosmo a simple taco.</p>
<p>“Cosmo doesn’t need a taco,” Steve added, shaking his head. </p>
<p>“So, no taco for the canine? I am taking copious notes here.” You looked to Wade to see him licking his lips with a pen and small notebook pad in his hand. </p>
<p>“Yes, taco,” you answered, and Cosmo barked.</p>
<p>“Majority wins. Fire up the stove, Peter. It will be a couple of minutes, folks,” Wade announced. “If only there was a superpower to make food. I mean, he or she, I’m not sexist, could solve world hunger with just a flick of their wrist or magic wand.”</p>
<p>“Wow, that guy must be going through something,” Steve uttered loud enough for you to hear as you both moved down the side of the truck to the pickup area. </p>
<p>“Captain, you have no idea,” Wade looked over his shoulder and shot you both a tight smile. “Am I right, Peter?”</p>
<p>“He is,” Peter nodded, placing an order on the serving counter. “Order for the lovely couple and a taco for the gorgeous golden retriever. </p>
<p>“Thanks, Peter.” You pulled your wallet from your purse, but when you looked up, Steve was already handing Peter some cash.</p>
<p>“My treat,” he replied, answering your silent question. </p>
<p>“Next time, it’s on me.” </p>
<p>“Deal,” Steve smirked, getting his change back from Peter.</p>
<p>“Is he a Purebred?” Peter asked, looking down at Cosmo with a smile.</p>
<p>“I’m not sure I rescued him.”</p>
<p>“That’s incredible. My wife, Susan, and I thought about adopting, but she’s been training hard with her personal trainer, Gus, a few times a week, so we weren’t sure if we were ready for a dog. I mean, some of the workouts can last like four hours, but it is doing wonders for her, and it shows.” </p>
<p>“Well, when you both feel ready, give adoption a chance.” </p>
<p>“I will. I’m sorry to keep you from your date with all the questions.”</p>
<p>“Hey, it’s alright,” Steve waved it off. “That’s how you keep customers coming back, right?”</p>
<p>“That’s right,” Peter chuckled. “Thanks for choosing Wade’s Chimichangas. Have a good afternoon, folks.”</p>
<p>You grabbed your’s and Cosmo’s baskets, and Steve grabbed his, making your way over to the open benches near the sidewalk. You plopped down with Steve taking the spot next to you, and Cosmo sat right in front of you, wagging his tail and waiting for his taco.  You smirked at him, tearing off a piece and giving it to him.</p>
<p>“Are you getting the feeling that Susan is cheating on Peter, too?” Steve asked, taking a bite of his chimichanga. </p>
<p>“Yes, I thought I was the only one thinking that,” you answered, shaking your head. “Poor guy, he seems like a good one, too.”</p>
<p>A comfortable silence fell between you two as you ate. It was tasty, better than you expected it would be; you weren’t sure if it was the seasoning or sauce, but you would be a returning customer. Cosmo whined, staring into your eyes as you tore off another piece and gave it to him. </p>
<p>Steve smirked. “You’re gonna teach him to be a beggar.”</p>
<p>“Don’t listen to your dad. If you want to be a beggar, you be a beggar.” You patted him on the head, and he licked your hand. </p>
<p>“Wow,” Steve mouthed, making you hit him on the arm. He cracked a contagious smile, leaning into you, and you couldn’t help but laugh as you pushed him off you. </p>
<p>“You’re such as ass sometimes.”</p>
<p>“I am one of LA’s finest asses according to Sam,” he replied, forcing you to scoff.</p>
<p>_______</p>
<p>Taking the last bite of your lunch, you glanced at Steve, finishing off his chimichanga. He wiped his lips with his napkin and winked at you. You rolled your eyes, leaning forward and rubbing Cosmo on the head. You didn’t want to go back to work. All you wanted to do was hang out with Steve and Cosmo for the rest of the day. You sighed, looking down at your watch.</p>
<p>“Should we start heading back?” Steve inquired, placing a hand on your forearm. You looked at his hand, a shy smile appearing on your face. </p>
<p>“Uh yeah, we probably should.” </p>
<p>He stood up, offering his hand, which you took without hesitation. He squeezed your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours, sending a warm, comforting sensation flow through your body.  You could feel your face grow warm as you stared at Cosmo walking in front of you. You bit your lip, peeking over at Steve, not missing the smirk you were beginning to love appear across his lips. </p>
<p>________</p>
<p>He pulled you to stop in front of your building, letting go of your hand, and you turned to face him. “Thanks for getting lunch with me and for bringing Cosmo. It was nice to meet him.” You smiled down at the dog, wagging his tail with his tongue hanging out. </p>
<p>“I think he enjoyed meeting you, too,” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “Listen, I don’t know if you’ve heard about this yet, but there is this first responders charity grill out slash softball tournament this weekend. I was wondering if...”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” you interrupted him. “Thor already invited me, and I was planning on going.”</p>
<p>“Cool.” He nodded, clenching his jaw. “But, I was curious if you wanted to be my date?”</p>
<p>You rubbed your lips together, a smile itching its way across your lips.  “Did you finally have the nerve to ask me out?” You nudged him with your elbow repeatedly until he cracked a smile. </p>
<p>“Like I said, I didn’t want to pressure you into anything.” He sighed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. </p>
<p>“No, it’s not that. I’m just surprised you’re already planning a second date, and we aren’t even done with the first one yet.”</p>
<p>His jaw dropped open as quickly as he snapped it shut. If you weren’t watching him, you would have missed it. “I never said this was a date.” </p>
<p>“Yeah, but Cosmo told me it was, so who do you think I’m gonna believe. The guy I have been hanging out with or a dog willing to share all your secrets with me.”  You shrugged with both hands in front of you, trying to weigh out your best option.</p>
<p>“Cosmo,” Steve looked down at his dog, shaking his head. “You can’t be telling YN all my secrets.”</p>
<p>“He’s a talker. Aren’t you Cosmo?” You cooed, making him bark in agreement. You smiled, reaching out to scratch his head one last time. You peeked up at Steve, not missing the gentle smile fading from his lips.</p>
<p>“How about it, YN? Do you want to go out on another date with me?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” you grinned, nodding your head. “I’d like that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading Part 11! We are over halfway through this story and there is so much more to come! And I am excited to share it with you all! The call about the daughter and father actually was something that happened and became national news a long time ago. I came across it while I was trying to find some 911 type calls/scenarios, and figured Rhomann and Duranna Dey would be a good fit for it. And she finally got to meet Cosmo! He is actually the dog from Guardians of the Galaxy! It is just a small cameo in that movie, but I love throwing in those easter eggs if you haven’t figured that out yet, haha! Did you like the Wade Wilson and Peter W cameo?! I thought it would be an entertaining addition and Wade breaking that fourth wall is always a fun time! The slow burn may finally be coming to an end. Let's just hope this charity softball tournament/grill-out date turns into a success! As always, thanks for reading, and don't forget comments are always welcome! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em><strong>AN:</strong> Flashbacks in italics</em>
</p><p>You yawned at your reflection in the mirror, bringing tears to the corner of your eyes. Today was the softball tournament, and Steve was picking you up at 6:30 in the morning. Unlucky for you, when you agreed to go with him as his date, you didn’t think it started this early. Station 107 was playing in one of the first two games of the day. It wasn’t a huge bracket with only twelve teams competing from different fire stations, dispatch call centers, paramedic units, and police departments. Nat and Clint’s West LA Police Department won last year, and they were hoping for another win.</p><p>You sighed, splashing your face with cold water, hoping it would shock your body awake, but it only made your face cold. You grabbed a towel, dabbing your face as you stared at your reflection. Your eyes shined back at you, and you couldn’t help the small approving smile spread across your lips. You shake your head, reverting your eyes back to the counter. Only an insane person smiles at themselves in the mirror, but you couldn’t help but look at yourself. Really look at yourself. You looked different, but it was a good different; no dark shadows under your eyes, a calm, relaxed expression, and a smile that came so much easier.</p><p>You were happy. It was a weird feeling, waking up refreshed without fear coursing through your veins. You were never going to be the person you were before you met him or even the person you were when you were with him; a weak, abused, and frightened woman. No, this was a whole new you. A stronger you that was finally letting old wounds heal and allowing yourself to move on and start over. You let out a deep breath as your phone vibrated on the bathroom counter. </p><p>
  <em><b>Steve: </b>Good morning. I’m outside ;)</em>
</p><p>
  <em><b>YN:</b> Be out in a second</em>
</p><p>You sighed, slipping on the baseball cap Thor gave you to wear with LAFD (Los Angeles Fire Department) stitched on the front with their station number on the back. You let out a breath and smiled at yourself. It was a new exciting feeling, a feeling of improvement, and a fresh start.</p><p>________</p><p>You sat on the bleachers watching the game between Station 107 and Station 93. The whole team wore the same dark blue station shirt, grey sweatpants, and the same cap you had on. Your eyes scanned the field, finding Steve covering first base. The car ride over didn’t do any justice to his uniform. His shirt was stretched tight across his chest with his biceps bulging out from his tight sleeves, and his joggers hugged tight to his quads. He caught you staring, giving you a little wave before hitting his hand into his glove. </p><p>The game was slow to watch, with the lead changing almost every inning.  Every time the batter hit the ball, your breath caught in your throat, waiting to see how it would play out. You were caught up in the game when out of the corner of your eye, you spotted a familiar redhead. </p><p>“Hey, YN. Guess what? We won!” She nudged you on the arm.  “How are Val and the boys doing?” </p><p>“Winning, but not by much. Carol needs to get her ass here. I think they’re feeling lost without their Captain,” you smiled, and she nodded in agreement. “Her shift ended about 10 minutes ago, so she should be on her way, and then she’ll set them straight.”</p><p>“Yeah, I noticed that. Like, why is Thor catcher?” she pointed at him. “And Bucky at second base? I mean, he can run, put him in the outfield.”</p><p>“I was wondering the same thing, but then I realized he already got to second base with you, so...”</p><p>“Oh shut up,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “He hit a home run, but I could say the same about you and Steve.”</p><p>“And you’d be wrong; we haven’t even got to first base yet.”</p><p>“Wait, what!” She slapped your arm. “But, I thought you two have been hanging out for like two weeks. I figured you two would be doing a little somethin-somethin,” she teased, nudging you in the side. </p><p>You chuckled, shaking your head. “I get why you’d think that, but we’re in no rush,” you insisted with a half shrug, earning a nod from her.</p><p>You heard a car door slam and glanced over your shoulder to see Carol charging over to the dugout with her cap and aviators on. </p><p>“The boss lady has arrived,” Nat announced loud enough for Carol to shoot you two a smirk. </p><p>Everyone huddled around her in the dugout. She used all kinds of hand gestures, some a little inappropriate, but her team stood together, nodding their heads and hanging onto every word like they do when they are on call. With it being a single-elimination tournament, they couldn’t afford to lose. It might have been a charity event, but some teams still came wanting to have bragging rights until next year. When she stood up, they broke apart, and it seemed like everyone's energy changed from defeated to conquering. It was like they finally suited up and wanted to win with two innings left.</p><p>Carol was a competitive person and always felt like she needed to take an extra step to prove herself. Growing up, she never got along with her parents; they always insisted she couldn’t do something because she was a girl. No matter how many times she got knocked down, she would always get back up and try again. When she got the job as Captain of the 107th, many men under her didn’t want to follow her orders or be controlled by a woman. Many of those ignorant men left her station, even though she proved herself time and time again. She earned the respect of a few firefighters who stuck around, and to those, she felt earned her respect as well. With everything she has gone through to get this far, you couldn’t help but admire her. </p><p>A slight chill ran up your spine, sending a tingling sensation coursing through your body. It forced the hair on your arms to stand up straight and make your hands shake. You rubbed them together, glancing over your shoulder, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. You gulped, sitting up straighter, getting the feeling of someone’s eyes on you. You bite your lip, scanning the faces one by one until they landed on Nat.</p><p>“Hey, you okay?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m fine,” you replied, seeing Clint take off running to a van. “But it looks like your cheering section has arrived.” </p><p>“On that note, I will be back--” she patted your leg “--I have to go hug my favorite niece and nephews.”</p><p>She stepped down the bleachers with a huge grin on her face and ran towards the van. Clint’s daughter met her halfway and pulled her into a hug. She hopped on Nat’s back, and Nat gave her a piggyback ride back over to her parents. You smiled at their interaction. It was such a simple gesture, but it meant so much to both of them. </p><p>Family has always been important to you; even when you didn’t think they would be there for you, they still showed up. You always thought you were the glue that held Thor and Loki together, but now, you were almost positive they were the ones holding you together. </p><p>Your eyes focused back on the game to see Station 107 heading back out to the field. They were up 3 points, heading into the top of the 7th inning. You couldn’t help but notice that Carol changed their field positions; Bucky and Thor moved to the outfield, but Steve stayed put at first. It’s surprising how moving a few players around made it look like a brand new team, and the game quickly ended with three straight outs, advancing them to the next round. They shook hands with the other team before huddling together in the dugout. </p><p>Thor was the first to leave the huddle, making his way over to you with a closed mouth smile plastered on his face. He hit the bill of your hat and continued to walk past you. </p><p>“Hey! What was that for,” you shouted at him over your shoulder. </p><p>“Felt like it,” he grinned with a shrug, walking backwards. </p><p>“Jerk,” you said under your breath, readjusting your hat as Steve approached you. </p><p>“Hope you weren’t too bored.” </p><p>“No, it was entertaining, watching you all fall over your feet until Danvers showed up and helped you pull off a win.”</p><p>“It wasn’t that bad. We kept a good pace with them all the way to the end. Just needed an extra push from Danvers,” he chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. “Did you want to get breakfast?” He offered, pointing to the line of food trucks behind you.</p><p>“What....no Wade’s Chimichangas?”</p><p>“I don’t think I have the stomach for that this early in the morning.” He rubbed his stomach before offering his hand to you. You took it with a chuckle, walking over to one of the most famous breakfast trucks in LA, Stan Lee Scrambles.</p><p>Thor had mentioned to you once before how Stan and his old firefighter crew decided to open up a food truck after they gained popularity. It started out small but soon became very successful, and they had to get a second truck. Everyone loved them, the food, and how they gave back to their community. They didn’t have a huge array of options, but it revolved heavily around breakfast items, including their award-winning breakfast sandwich, The Egg-celsior, a sausage bacon egg english muffin sandwich.</p><p>“What can I get you, Big Guy,” the old man, wearing tinted glasses and an old fire station hat, asked Thor.  </p><p>“Well, Stan...I will take two Egg-celsiors with a side of hash browns and a parfait,” Thor replied, squinting his eyes at the menu. “I think that will do for now, my good man.”</p><p>“Coming up, Big Guy.” You smirked at Stan’s nickname for your brother and moved up in line with Steve.  “Hiya, Steve. How’s your dog...Cosmo, right?” Stan asked, putting his elbows on the truck's small counter ledge. </p><p>“Yeah, he’s doing much better. He’s gotten a lot more friendly and isn’t as skittish. I’ve been teaching him a few commands and lovin’ up on him.” </p><p>“That’s terrific to hear. Remember, every relationship starts off a little shaky, but before you know it, the two of you will be inseparable.” Steve nodded with a smirk, as did you, reading into the double meaning. “Now, let’s get you two something to eat; what will it be?” </p><p>You and Steve placed your order, and before you could beat him to it, Steve had his wallet out, paying. You shook your head, taking a few steps back to wait for your order to be called. You didn’t miss the subtle wink Stan shot Steve, making your eyes drift to the ground, hoping your hat would hide the bashful smile appearing on your face. </p><p>Steve’s feet came into view, and you looked up at him. “Thanks for breakfast.”</p><p>“No problem,” he smiled. </p><p>“So, what are the chances of you winning the next game? Any big competitors you're worried about?”</p><p>“I don’t know.” He lifted up his hat, scratching his head as he leaned in close to you, and whispered. “We’re not that good. We might make it to the next round, but I think the final four is as far as we’ll get.”</p><p>“Why do you say that?”</p><p>“Observation.” You narrowed your eyes at him as he tilted his head to the fields. “For one, one of the games behind us is already up 5 to 0, and they're still in the first inning. Second, Nat and Clint’s department dominated because Clint hits a home run every time he is up to bat. And three, I think we just want to start drinking.”</p><p>You chuckled, shaking your head. “You seem so sure of yourself.”</p><p>“I know a thing or two about baseball, and the odds are stacked against us.” Steve shrugged.</p><p>“Maybe, I should’ve joined your team. I’m pretty good with a bat,” you smirked, earning a breathy chuckle out of him.</p><p>“Maybe next year, you and Bruce can put together a group of individuals…”</p><p>“Let me stop you right there. No and no. I’d rather eat, drink, and watch,” you giggled, making Steve nod in understanding.</p><p>Your order was called, and you both went to the counter to pick it up. Steve followed behind you, taking a seat at one of the picnic tables with Bucky, Sam, and Thor. You took the spot beside Sam, and Steve sat across from you next to Thor. </p><p>“You did not do that, Sam. I don’t believe you. I bet you made that up,” Thor said, waving his hand around with his Egg-celsior in it.</p><p>“I’m not, it’s 100% true.” </p><p>“Lies. All lies this guy.” Thor shook his head, sliding over to give Steve a little more room on the end. </p><p>“What is he lying about?” Steve asked, unwrapping his breakfast sandwich.</p><p>“Thor doesn’t believe I ran five miles in thirty minutes.”</p><p>“It’s true; we ran it together once,” Steve confirmed, nodding his head. </p><p>Thor rolled his eyes, doing a double-take at someone behind you. “WHAT? Bruce is here! I didn’t know he was coming. YN, did you know he was coming?” Thor pointed at him, talking with Happy by the silent auction tables. </p><p>“He told me he was going to try and make it.” You shrugged, glancing over your shoulder. </p><p>“BRUCE, BRUCE,” Thor called, standing up in a half-sitting half-standing position at the picnic table. “BANNER, BRUCE BANNER.” Bruce noticed him and waved at him, not wanting any attention. “BANNER, IT’S ME, THOR. YOU POPPED MY CHERRY.”</p><p>All eyes in the surrounding area stopped what they were doing and looked between Bruce and Thor. You swore you saw Bruce roll his eyes from more than a few hundred feet away and let out an annoyed sigh before he headed over with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slouched.  “Hey, Thor. Fellas, YN, Carol, Val. How was your first game?”</p><p>“We won,” Carol answered from the table next to theirs, where she was sitting with Val.  “It was a tight game before I showed up.”</p><p>“We just didn’t want to win without you, Ace,” Bucky smiled at her, forcing her to shake her head.</p><p>“Steve, did I ever tell you how I lost my dispatcher cherry to Bruce?” Thor asked as everyone stood up from your table and the table next to yours, besides you and Steve. “Wait, where is everyone going?”</p><p>“To watch the next game starting, but tell Steve the story, we have heard it one too many times,” Val stated, stepping out of the picnic table. </p><p>“Yeah, he hasn’t heard it yet; he deserves to hear it at least once,” Sam replied with wide eyes before walking to the bleachers with Bucky, Carol, and Val. </p><p>Thor did love telling the story. Maybe a little too much because each time he told it, you swore he added something new to it or remembered something he forgot the other 15 times he mentioned it. It was a story that only needed to be told once, but Thor liked talking about his first time. </p><p>You shake your head, sneaking a peek at Steve through your eyelashes as a small smirk tugged at your lips. He caught you staring, widening eyes as if he was asking if they should've made a quick getaway, but it was too late for them. </p><p>“That’s right, I did tell those guys,” Thor nodded with an amused smile. “Anyways, Bruce, take a seat. We will tell it together.” </p><p>“No, that’s okay,” Bruce assured, holding his hands up “I got to go and...”</p><p>“Nonsense. Take a seat, Banner.” Thor tapped on the spot next to him.</p><p>“Okay,” Bruce mumbled with a shrug. “Since when do I ever get what I want.” Bruce sits beside him, knowing the faster he got this over with, the faster he could leave. He shot a quick glance in your direction, almost asking for help to make a quick getaway. </p><p>“That’s right.” Thor patted Bruce on the shoulder. “Now, it all started when I was working at my first station in LA. I was a young greenhorn, learning the ropes many years ago...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Thor and Sif,” Captain Heimdall spoke into the walkie on their jacket. “There is an EMT emergency at the Los Angeles Zoo. We are the closest unit, and I need you two to head there now. The team and I will finish putting this blaze out.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Thor and Sif got into the ambulance as instructed, blasting the sirens, and drove to the access point the dispatcher routed them to. A few zookeepers were waiting as they lead them through the zoo, stopping directly in front of the reptile building. Sif ran to the back of the ambulance and threw a paramedic bag at Thor as she grabbed another bag before running into the building behind the other zookeeper.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Now, at this point, I never had to deal with the whole paramedic, injured people side of things, so it was an intense situation. Luckily, I was able to stay calm and collected through this whole situation, and I had Sif to thank for that. She remained so focused in these emergencies, I always thought she took Xanax, but it was just her personality.” Thor shrugged, taking a sip out of his water bottle in front of him. “Back to the call...</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>“Did the dispatcher mention what is happening to either of you?” Zookeeper Carina asked while weaving them through the halls of the building. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Not much,” Sif answered. “The victim called in mentioning a snake. A few guests must have seen it happen through the viewing windows and called it in, too. I’m hoping you cleared the viewing area for now.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Yes, of course, we did,” Carina nodded as they continued down the hall.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Wait, this involves a snake. I love snakes. My parents got me one when I was younger, thinking it would give me more responsibility, but then my brother let him out of his cage, and he was never found again. I like to think he found a mate, and they are living happily ever after.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Great story, Thor, but let’s get to the matters at hand right now,” Sif commanded, earning a serious understanding nod from him. “What’s the current situation?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Miek, our 16 foot long 237-pound Burmese python snake from the Asian exhibit, latched onto my fellow zookeeper, Taneleer Tivan, leg, and she started coiling her body around Taneleer’s leg, cutting off his circulation. Taneleer collects snakes, so I don’t know if he read the situation wrong or did something to provoke her.” She shook her head. “It’s protocol to have two zookeepers present during feeding to avoid these types of situations, but his co-worker was running late, so he started the feedings by himself.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Carina stopped at a door. “He is behind this door.” She opened it, and they both stepped in to see Taneleer holding a phone to his ear, mumbling and grunting. His eyes and head traveled to the door with a faint smile on his lips before he went unconscious. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“OH MY GOD, that snake is huge?” Thor shouted in surprise, seeing the snake wrapped around Taneleer’s leg. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Taneleer, you still there? Taneleer?” The caller on the speakerphone asked. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sif went over to pick up the phone and tossed it to Thor. “I’m Fireman Thor Odinson. Who am I speaking with?” Thor questioned, keeping a watchful eye on Sif. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She slowly moved into position to check his vitals while keeping an eye on the snake. Her eyes traveled over his body, further assessing the situation. She noticed multiple bite marks across his stomach that were bleeding profusely, and Miek’s jaw was still latched on tight to his stomach. Sif tried her best to put pressure on the wounds, trying not to disturb the snake while Mieks body seemed to coil tighter around Taneleers leg. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Dispatcher Bruce Banner here, how is Taneleer doing?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“He’s unconscious.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Okay, how are his vitals?” Bruce asked, but Thor ignored him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Carina, do you have any protocol when this happens? Like what is the best way to get the snake off them without harming them?” Sif asked, trying to keep pressure on the wounds.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her eyes went wide, and she shrugged. “This isn’t usually my area, I fill in where I’m needed, and…and…” her voice drifted off, staring down at Taneleer. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sif nodded, looking at Thor. “Thor, can you try uncoiling the snake off of his leg.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Thor nodded, starting at the tail end, but as much strength Thor had, he couldn’t unwrap the snake. “I think Miek is getting pissed. She is making herself tighter and heavier,” Thor grunted through clenched teeth.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING, THOR?” Bruce shouted from the breast pocket on Thor’s shirt. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Thor slowly set down the snake’s body and pulled the phone from his pocket. “Then, what do you suggest we do, Banner?“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Find some alcohol and put it in their mouth, but make sure the head is pointed downward and make sure it goes into his mouth. The alcohol won’t work if you put it on their face or body.” Carina disappeared as if she remembered something and returned with a small bottle of vodka and a syringe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It needs to be the mouth, okay. I got it, but we don’t want to get this snake drunk, Bruce.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“It will work, trust me. The snake will become disoriented and unlatch herself from Taneleer. Then you will need to slowly unwrap her from his leg. Go slow because you don’t want to make the snake uncomfortable.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Got it. You sure she likes vodka,” Thor winked at a blushing Carina, filling the small amount of vodka in the syringe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Thor,” Sif shouted at him. “Focus.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“If she bites me, this is on you Sif, and this Bruce Banner guy.” Thor pointed his fingers at her and then to the phone.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Thor held the syringe just enough to place a few drops into the python's mouth. In an instant, the snake disengaged its teeth and retracted them away from the bite zone. Sif stepped into action and put pressure on the wound while Thor grabbed a hold of his jaw and head, gaining full control of the snake. With his other hand, he pointed to Carina to start unwrapping the snake slowly at the tail end.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“And just like that, another person saved.” Thor smacked the table with a big grin on his face. “If I remember right, you Banner had quite the temper in that situation.”</p><p>“Well, when a person needs help, you have to think of the best way to help.”</p><p>“How did you know the alcohol trick would work?” Steve asked, looking at Bruce.</p><p>Bruce opened his mouth when Thor spoke up for him. “This guy, right here--” he grabbed both Bruce's shoulder and shook him “--took some fancy snake class and learned how to disarm them.”</p><p>“It wasn’t for that reason per se, but it was a class at the local herpetology society to better understand situations involving reptiles and amphibians.”</p><p>“Exactly, fancy snake class,” Thor smirked, patting him on the back while Bruce nodded his head, rubbing his lips together. You couldn’t help but shake your head at them. These two had nothing in common but that one call they experienced together. “I want you to remember, Bruce, you will always be my first.”</p><p>“Okay,” Bruce nodded with a fake tight-lipped smile. </p><p>“It was good to see you, Bruce, but I am going to go see if Stan has any more Egg-celsiors left.” He patted him on the shoulder, crawling out of the table and walking back to the truck. </p><p>“Good to see you, too.”</p><p>“And here I thought my first time was good.” Steve winked at you, forcing you to roll your eyes.</p><p>“I will say one thing,” Bruce mentioned, peeking over you to make sure Thor was out of earshot. “He wasn’t that calm. If you ever want to hear the real version, we have it in the archives, it's in my favorites.”</p><p>“And here I thought my brother loved snakes,” you added, making both men chuckle. </p><p>________</p><p>Steve went to warm up for his next game while you made your way over to the bleachers to watch the rest of Nat and Clint’s game.</p><p>“YN, come sit with us,” a woman with brown hair called, waving at you with a huge grin on her face. A little boy sat next to her, focused on the game in front of him. You recognized her as the woman Nat hugged earlier. “I don’t think we have been properly introduced, but I’m Laura, Clint’s wife, and this is my youngest, Nathaniel. The little lady in the purple shirt by the fence watching the game is Lila, and the young man next to her is my other son, Cooper.”</p><p>You nodded as she pointed at them. “I’m YN, but you seem to already know that,” you smiled, shaking her hand. </p><p>“I did, I’ve heard so much about you, and it’s nice to finally put a face to the name. Here join us on the blanket.”</p><p>“Thanks.” You plopped down on the blanket, getting comfortable. “Nat’s told me so much about her niece and nephews, too, and they do seem pretty adorable.”</p><p>“Do they? Because if I’m being honest, they can be little terrors sometimes, and the sibling rivalry, well don’t get me started,” she huffed, shaking her head. </p><p>“Oh, don’t I know it. I’ve experienced plenty of it growing up with two brothers.”</p><p>“I can imagine, but I didn’t know you had another brother.”</p><p>“Yeah, Loki. He’s adopted.” You shrugged, watching Nathaniel look through one of the books in front of him.</p><p>“Was it like sporting event after sporting event growing up? Because let me tell you something, once you have kids and they want to play sports, then that's all you're going to be focusing on until the season's finished. Bye-bye social life.”</p><p>“I’ll take that into consideration,” you let out a soft chuckle, “but for me, it wasn’t like that growing up. Loki and Thor are two very different people. Loki was more into drama theater, but Thor did play a lot of sports. And their personalities, well, they couldn’t be more opposite. Loki is great to talk to when you need someone to tell you how it is or how something is going to be, but Thor always takes your feelings into account by telling you what you want to hear before telling you what you should hear. Each brother has good and bad traits, but I still loved them and would do anything for them.”</p><p>“Do you miss Loki?” She reached over and patted your hand. “I’m assuming he doesn’t live around here because Nat mentioned you’re from New York, right?”</p><p>“Ahh, yeah. I miss talking to him and seeing him. We were close growing up and up until I moved at the last minute, but it’s just tough, right now.” You shrugged, biting your lip as your eyes drifted to the field. </p><p>You hated not being able to talk to Loki. He helped you through so much, and you hoped he knew that. As dramatic and theatrical as he could be, you missed him. He was often hard to read, but once you cracked his hard shell, he showed a different side of himself, some never get the chance to see. You wished you could tell him what you have been doing lately, but you didn’t want to draw unwanted attention to another cell phone besides your brothers in California, in case Billy was keeping an eye on them.</p><p>“I’m sorry--” she gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, and your head snapped to hers “--I didn’t mean to pry or anything. I’m just a stay-at-home mom that hasn’t had any adult communication since last week.”</p><p>“No, you’re good, Laura,” you smiled at her. “Don’t you have Clint to talk to?”</p><p>“He’s like my fourth child. He is the oldest but acts like the youngest,” she whispered the last part, making you let out a loud laugh. “So, tell me...” She nudged your side, tilting her head at something behind you. You turned to see who she was referring to only to spot Steve. “What’s going on with you and Steve?”</p><p>“Depends on what has Nat told you?”</p><p>“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be! Wow!” She pushed you, and you laughed, falling onto your side. </p><p>“MOM, Dad's up to bat,” Cooper shouted, sprinting over to inform her before going back to the fence.</p><p>“Is he? Oh yes, look at that,” she smirked, seeing Clint square up in the batter’s box with the bases loaded.</p><p>With the first pitch, Clint swung the bat, sending the ball flying over the fence on the opposite side of the field. He hit a grand slam, earning cheers from his teammates as he jogged around the bases with a fist up in the air. </p><p>"Showoff," Laura snorted, shaking her head. “I’ll cue you in on a little unknown fact about Clint. He only hits those over the fence because he doesn’t want to run around the bases.”</p><p>“Really?” </p><p>“Yeah, he’s the worst, but I love him,” she smiled with a half shrug. </p><p>You may have just met Laura, but you already adored her. She was so easy to get along with, and seemed like the type of friend you could share all your secrets with and she wouldn’t tell a soul.  </p><p>"How long have you and Clint been together?"</p><p>“It’s been seventeen long years, but he’s been worth it,” Laura smiled, running her hand through Nathaniel’s mop of hair. “How about you and Steve?”</p><p>“Okay, back to me, then.” You shake your head, finding it hard not to smile. You glanced over at Steve to see him talking with Sam, flipping his baseball glove around in his hands. “We’ve been hanging out, but I wouldn’t call it serious.” </p><p>“Steve’s a great guy from what I’ve come to understand. I’m pretty perceptive, and let me tell you, not many people can finagle themselves into their little group, but he fit right in. And from what my perceptive powers are telling me, he likes you,” she grinned, tilting her head at him. </p><p>You took a deep breath and looked over your shoulder to catch Steve and Sam staring at you. Steve bit his bottom lip, a smirk forming on his lips. You stuck out your tongue at them, making them both laugh as they leaned down to grab their gear for the next game. Steve headed towards the dugout, but you didn’t miss the ever so subtle double-take Steve shot your way. You shot him a cheesy grin, and you could’ve sworn his ears couldn’t get any redder. You chuckled, your eyes drifting back to the game in front of you. </p><p>“And that Nathaniel, my little man, is called the double-take. It means Steve is into YN.”</p><p>You scoffed. “May I ask what you’re teaching him?” You bit your lip, looking at the smiling boy. </p><p>“My perceptive powers, of course,” she said, reaching over and tickling him. </p><p>“No, mommy,” he screeched in a burst of high-pitched laughter. </p><p>“He’s got the trait. Cooper and Lila are screwed.” She confessed, and you mouthed ‘wow’ with a half-smile on your lips. “Regardless, you two are cute together.” </p><p>“Thanks,” you mumbled under your breath, feeling a rush of heat to your cheeks. </p><p>_________</p><p>The West LA Police Department took the win and were moving onto the final four. Nat and Clint were walking over together, and Lila took off running towards them. Clint leaned down with open arms, but she ran right to Nat and wrapped her arms around her waist. You didn’t miss Clint let out a sigh of defeat as he stood back up and smirked at them.</p><p>“Did you watch us kick the other teams butt?” Nat asked, smiling down at her, patting her back. </p><p>“Yeah, you were so awesome, Nat. I want to grow up and be just like you,” Lila grinned, looking up at her.</p><p>Clint shook his head at them, giving Lila a knowing look. “Yeah, no, that’s not gonna happen. You wanna give your old man a heart attack or something because I’m not ready for that," Clint sighed, walking over and laying down next to Nathaniel and Laura. He rested his head on his wife’s thigh with a huff. “I’m getting too old for this sh...stuff,” he groaned, closing his eyes and was out like a light. </p><p>“Man, I wish I could fall asleep that fast,” Nat admitted, staring down at sleeping Clint.</p><p>“Don’t we all,” Laura chuckled. “At least I know where Nathaniel gets it.”</p><p>“How’s your team doing?” Nat asked, standing with her hands on her hips. </p><p>“I haven’t checked up on them. Been too busy talking with Laura.”</p><p>“Happens to most of us. She’s so easy to talk to.”</p><p>“She is,” you nodded at Laura, and she shot you a soft smile. </p><p>Station 107 won their game, moving them onto the final four, which started after lunch. To your surprise, Happy’s Hydrant was catering the event, and all the food looked delicious. All you had to do was pay for the plate, and all the money collected would be donated to the winning team's charity.  Everyone from the team agreed, this last game wasn’t important and that it was time to finally start partying.</p><p>_________</p><p>It was the bottom of the 7th inning of their final four game with Station 107 down by one point with one out. Val was up to bat, and the current count was one strike and two balls. She stepped back, taking a few quick practice swings before returning to the plate. The pitcher threw the ball straight across the plate, and Val swung with a miss. She stepped back out, shaking her head as her teammates cheered her on from the dugout. </p><p>Steve gulped, seeing her set herself back up in the batter's box, doing one more quick practice swing. Steve never really had a one on one conversation with her, but he had a ton of respect for her. He was always impressed with how determined and focused she could be in a high-pressure situation. Those calls were a walk in the park for her, and he knew with the current situation at hand, she would knock that ball out of the park.</p><p>The pitcher tossed the ball, and in an instant, it landed in the catcher's glove slightly out of the strike zone. </p><p>“Strike 3, you’re out,” the umpire called, making a fist with his hand. Val stood there with a questioning glare at the ump before she turned around and walked away. </p><p>“What the fuck?” Steve commented under his breath, pushing his way out of the dugout and passed Val. “What kind of fucking call was that, ump?” </p><p>“If you don’t like the call, you can get out of here.” The ump stood tall in front of him, but it didn’t do much since he was shorter than Steve. </p><p>“The ball was nowhere near the damn strike zone, and she didn’t even swing at it. She’s not out.” </p><p>The umpire tore off his mask. “Listen here, buddy, I’m in charge here--” He stepped closer to Steve and poked him on the chest with his mask “--from my view, she swung the bat but didn’t commit to it. Get over it or get out.”</p><p>“You know what I think…” Steve started, but Bucky showed up, forcing himself between them. Sam stepped in and grabbed a hold of Steve’s arm, pulling him back to the dugout.</p><p>“All good, Rumlow, all good. It’s just a friendly annual charity grill-out game. Can’t we all just get along,” Bucky added with a slight smirk, walking backwards to the dugout.</p><p>“Keep your new recruit under control, and we won’t have a problem.” Rumlow shook his head and pulled his mask back on with Thor up to bat next.  </p><p>“Who is that guy?” Steve asked Sam, taking a seat on the bench in the dugout.</p><p>“Brock Rumlow. You kind of took his job.”</p><p>“What do you mean, I took his job?”</p><p>“We were going to hire him, but then, Bucky told you to apply, and you got it.” Sam patted his back. “He is not very fond of our station anymore, but you were the more qualified candidate.” Sam squirted his water bottle into his mouth. “It’s probably why Val didn’t say anything to him about the call because she saw who it was and knew it wasn’t worth the fight.”</p><p>“I see,” Steve nodded, taking a drink from his water bottle. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing you watching him. Nat was saying something to you, but your attention was on him. He held up his hand with a slight smirk to show you he was fine, and you nodded at him.</p><p>“Why am I always cleaning up your messes,” Bucky inquired, plopping down in the seat next to him.</p><p>“Bad timing,” Steve smiled, forcing Sam and Bucky to shake their heads. </p><p>You and Nat stepped down from the bleachers when the game ended, with Station 107 losing by 2 points. Nat nodded at you, leaving to prepare for the championship game. Once you realized the umpire was Rumlow, you and Nat knew it was inevitable that they were going to lose. Rumlow knew how to hold a grudge, and he was still holding onto it. You shot Steve a side smirk as he walked over to you. </p><p>“And here, I thought you guys didn’t care about the game, and who knew you were so competitive?”</p><p>“What can I say, I got into it a little bit. We all did.” He shrugged with a tight smile.</p><p>“You did,” you chuckled, patting him on the bicep. “The ump was making some terrible calls anyways, and it doesn’t help he’s an asshole.”  </p><p>________</p><p>You sat down in the same spot at the picnic table from earlier, and Bucky and Steve joined you, still talking about their loss. </p><p>Bucky took a bite of his BBQ ribs and grabbed his napkin, wiping the sauce from his lips. “It’s a good thing you’re not in charge of the grill, Steve? You remember what happened that one time.”</p><p>“What are you talking about? I’m great on the grill.”</p><p>“Yeah, but there was that one time, Peggy threw you that Fourth of July Birthday bash at your new house. You were on the grill and had the gas turned on too high and when you lit the match, a fire blaze shot up in the air. Hell, I thought you were going to lose your eyebrows, but Peggy was more worried about the house,” he chuckled with a crinkled-eyed smile, shaking his head.  </p><p>“In my defense, it was a new grill,” Steve snickered. “I didn’t know what it was capable of yet.”</p><p>“Who’s Peggy?” You asked, glancing between Steve and Bucky, who seemed to be in their own little world. They fell silent as Steve bit his lip, shooting Bucky a hard glare. Bucky looked away from him, shoving more mashed potatoes in his mouth. </p><p>“Story for another time.” Steve peeked over at you, letting out a breath. He moved his potatoes around on his plate as a few different expressions crossed his face. </p><p>“I understand,” you nodded, taking a sip of your drink. </p><p>You knew better than anyone that there was a time and place for certain things to be shared, and this was not one of those times; it was too public. You took a bite of your sandwich, trying to remember if Steve mentioned Peggy before, but you don’t think he ever did. You peeked up at him across the table to see him laughing with Bucky, but it seemed forced. It wasn’t the hand clutching to the chest kind of laugh or the adorable chuckle that made the butterflies erupt in your stomach. It was almost like it didn’t have a sound, but the emotion hiding behind it was there, like a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He was physically here, but his mind was somewhere else. Whoever this Peggy was, she was special to him. </p><p>“Clint and Nat’s team is fucking dominating; 12 to 2 in the bottom of the 4th. They should just call it at this point. It’s tough to watch,” Sam stated, sitting down next to you.</p><p>Everyone’s head at the table nodded in agreement. Your eyes started to wander around the park, noticing the whole Barton clan invested in this game. The line to Happy’s Hydrant was still long but moving swiftly. Thor, Val, and Carol were talking with a group of people by the beer wagon, paying no attention to the game. Your focus returned to the table, hearing Bucky comment on Nat’s uniform, forcing Sam to roll his eyes and bring his sandwich to his mouth.</p><p>“I’m gonna head back for seconds; do you want anything else? I can grab it for you,” Steve asked, catching your wandering eyes. </p><p>“I’m fine, thanks, though.” You smiled up at him, and he nodded, stepping out of the picnic table.  </p><p>Steve stood back in Happy’s line, which was much longer than it was the first time he went through. Drunk munchies, he assumed. He glanced over at you and couldn’t help but smile. Sam must have made a comment about you and him because you smacked Sam on the arm as your gaze landed on his. You waved at him with a playful smile while giving Sam a stern look. </p><p>He couldn’t help but smirk at your interactions with the guys. They were a rowdy bunch, but you could always hold your own against them and put them in their place, even him. Every joke you made, every laugh that escaped you, and every smile you shot his way made his heart leap in his chest. It was a feeling he hasn’t felt in a long time, a feeling he hasn’t felt since Peggy. </p><p>"Is this the line for Happy's?" A guy behind him asked, interrupting his daydream.</p><p>“It is, yes,” he nodded, turning around to look at the guy, wearing a Northeast LA police department t-shirt and cap.</p><p>“Was your department playing today?” Steve questioned, pointing at his shirt.</p><p>“Oh no,” the bearded man chuckled. “We prefer being spectators and drinking.” He pointed behind him to a group sitting by the game with lawn chairs and coolers.</p><p>“Nothing wrong with that,” Steve smirked, shaking his head.</p><p>“What’s it like being a firefighter at the 107th?” He gestured to Steve’s shirt. “Doesn’t Thor work at that station, too?”</p><p>“Yeah, he does. Good guy.” The brunet nodded in agreement. “I like it. It’s both a physically and mentally demanding job, but I enjoy it.” Steve shrugged, grabbing a few extra napkins from the table.</p><p>“Same with me, but we aren’t fighting fires or rescuing kittens from trees.”</p><p>“If only it was that easy,” Steve nodded, narrowing his brows. “How do you know, Thor?”</p><p>“He helped me with a call a few months ago….it was a jumper,” he gulped, putting some vegetables on his plate as they made their way down the line. “I was the first officer on the scene. I was working on talking him down, and then this big intimidating guy from the 107th showed up, had a heart to heart with the guy, and he got down off the ledge. It was amazing to watch.”</p><p>“Did Thor tell the guy his wife left him and that he found himself in a similar situation?”</p><p>“Yeah.” </p><p>“Thor made that up on the spot.” The guy furrowed his brows at him, not really understanding. “You see, sometimes to calm people down in these stressful situations, we try to find some common ground. In this case, Thor made up the story about his wife leaving him, and it ended up saving the guy’s life.”</p><p>“Wait, so Thor was never married.”</p><p>“Nope,” Steve smirked, taking a couple more BBQ ribs for his plate. “We do what we have to do to save lives, even if it means making up an emotional story for the victim to know they are not alone, and people still care.”</p><p>You glanced over at the food buffet to see Steve talking to someone in a dark blue cap that you didn’t recognize. Steve always seemed to be able to start up a conversation with anyone, even though he seemed like a quiet guy. Bucky snapped his fingers in front of your face, pulling you away from them. </p><p>“Eyes on me, darling, eyes on me.” He pointed his middle and forefinger at his eyes than to yours.  “Stop giving Steve all the attention. He’s the real troublemaker.” Bucky shook his head. “Has he told you about all the stupid things he did when he was younger and how I had to rescue his ass?”</p><p>“A little,” you snickered, pinching your thumb and forefinger together.  “And here, I always thought you were the troublemaker.”</p><p>“Nope, all Steve. You’d be surprised how often I got into trouble for shit he did. He’s such a punk.”  You couldn’t help but grin at Steve’s back, shuffling down the buffet line. </p><p>Steve hesitated before scooping one more serving of potatoes on his plate. He deserved a few more carbs after playing softball all day and consuming copious amounts of water. “Sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?”</p><p>“Oh, my friends call me Jig.”</p><p>“Jig?” Steve mumbled, cocking his head to the side. “I bet there is a story behind that one, but I’m Steve.”He held out his hand, and Jig shook it. “I better get back to my squad, but it was nice talking to you.”</p><p>“You too. I’ll see you around, Steve.” </p><p>________</p><p>“Do you think Cosmo is staring at the door waiting for you to come home? I miss that pretty boy,” You suggested, standing next to Steve watching the final game between West LA Police Department and Fire Station 113. </p><p>“Maybe,” he smirked. “I know he misses you. Won’t stop talking about it.” He shook his head, making you bite back a smile. “He wanted me to ask if you wanted to come over after this?” He shrugged, acting all innocent.  “I told him I would ask, but I wasn’t promising him anything.”</p><p>“What...like a play date?”</p><p>He chuckled under his breath, eyeing you with his blue orbs. “I guess you could say that.”</p><p>You turned your head to the ground, biting your lip. “Yeah, I'd love to, but only if it's okay with his Dad. I know he has a strict bedtime.”</p><p>“I think he will let this one slide this time,” Steve murmured next to your ear, wrapping his arm around your back and putting his hand on your hip. You leaned closer to him and wrapped your hand across his waist, pulling him closer to you.</p><p>“Where is Cosmo anyway?”</p><p>“My neighbor is watching him, and let me tell you, he is not a fan of her. I think if he sees you, he will be much happier, and then he’ll forgive me for leaving him with her.  </p><p>“I’m sure he will. If not, I’ll talk to him and put in a good word for you.” You squeezed his side and shot him a promising smile, forcing him to shake his head at you. </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>To no surprise, the West LA Police Department won with the scoreboard shining 18 to 7. They decided to forfeit after the 6th inning, knowing they weren’t going to be able to catch them. It was a boring game to watch, but you were in good company. </p><p>________</p><p>The car ride to Steve’s house sent a chill up your spine and a warm rush to your face. It was a sensation you couldn’t explain. The butterflies in your stomach erupted, and every nerve in your body made your skin tingle with anticipation. You hung out at his apartment a few times before, but tonight something felt different. You sighed, leaning back in the passenger seat, staring out the windows and watching the sky change colors. It was a beautiful sight. You glanced over at Steve, watching him bob his head along to Marvin Gaye. He tapped his hand on the steering wheel as his gaze caught yours and cracked a coy smile, causing your heart to race.</p><p>You walked up the steps behind Steve to his apartment on the second floor. He opened the door to let you in, so he could retrieve Cosmo from his neighbor. You stood next to the island by the front door with your hands on the counter, listening to the quick chit-chat Steve was having with his neighbor. You heard paws charging down the hallway followed by footsteps not much later. Under the door, you could see the shadows dancing and hear Steve giving Cosmo a little pep talk. </p><p>“Okay, Cosmo. Someone decided to come visit you, but you have to promise me you won’t embarrass me.” Cosmo whined, and you couldn’t help but think how cute it was. “You’re gonna embarrass me, aren’t you?” Cosmo barked in response, and Steve let out a loud sigh. </p><p>The front door creaked open, and Cosmo charged in, his head looking around the room until his eyes landed on you. He ran over to you with his front paws landing on you.</p><p>“Hello to you too, Cosmo,” you grinned, scratching the top of his head. “I heard you missed me.” His tail continued to wag, and it hit the kitchen cabinet, but he didn’t seem to have a care in the world. </p><p>“See, I wasn’t kidding when I told you he missed you.”</p><p>“I see that now. Did you miss me, Cosmo?” You crouched down, rubbing his ears, and he licked your face. “Yuck, Cosmo, no kissing.” You shake your head and wipe the drool off your face.</p><p>“Did you want anything to drink?” Steve offered, opening a cabinet with glasses. “I was thinking about opening a bottle of wine?”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll have a glass.” You nodded, standing up straight at the end of the bar with Cosmo sitting right beside you, waiting for another scratch. </p><p>Steve grabbed two glasses, setting them on the counter. “See, all he wants is your attention; he could care less that I am here.” </p><p>“I’m sure he still loves his Dad.”</p><p>“He kind of has to; I feed him,” he breathed a small smirk, shrugging his shoulder. He grabbed a wine bottle at random from the small rack on the counter. He opened the bottle, pouring it into the glasses, and handed you one. “What’s the movie going to be tonight?”</p><p>“Have to check the list.”</p><p>You turned to follow Steve to the living room when you tripped over Cosmo, and the wine glass fell from your grasp. It crashed on the hardwood floor, shattering into tiny little pieces. Your hand covered your mouth, feeling a chill run up your spine. As you stared down at the floor, your heart sped up, causing tears to peek at the corner of your eyes. A lump formed in your throat, making it harder to breathe, and your hands started to tremble. You felt him reach out and touch your shoulder, forcing you to jump back and stare at him with wide eyes. In a glimpse, you saw Billy standing where Steve used to be. A sob escaped your mouth as you squeezed your eyes shut, shaking your head. When you opened your eyes, Steve was holding his hands up, his mouth was moving, but his words weren’t reaching your ears.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” you whimpered, backing away from him.</p><p>“It’s okay, YN, we’ll clean it up. It was an accident. These things happen.”</p><p>“No, no, I should go. I forgot I had...um...I’m sorry. I should go.” You grabbed your jacket and took off out the door with tears streaming down your face. </p><p>The door closed with a loud bang, causing Cosmo to whine at the door. Steve let out a deep sigh, looking at the door and then at his dog. “What am I going to do, Cosmo?” He ran a hand down his face, walking over to grab his broom.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Part 12! Soooo much happened in this part, so where do I start. I originally thought about breaking this part into two, but got lazy, and was like nahhh! Haha! But what a way to end it, am I right?! Everything was going so well until it wasn't.😬 What is Steve gonna do now? Do you think Cosmo feels bad about it? Poor pup! Did you like the Stan Lee cameo? Whenever I write a story, I try to add him in since he is the one who started it all! And what did you think about the story of Thor losing his dispatcher cherry? I don’t know anything about snakes, I just googled and this is what came up, so it could be inaccurate, but regardless, I hope you at least got a little laugh out of it! Anyways, thanks for reading, comments are always welcome!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>AN: Flashbacks in italics</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okay, Team, we have a single-level house fire in a local suburb. A neighbor called it in but isn’t sure if anyone is home. The owners of the house are newly married, Ian Boothby and Darcy Lewis. He suspected the husband to be home since he saw him mowing the lawn earlier this morning. Now, when we get on scene, I want Steve to stay with the truck engine in case the ventilation team needs help on site. On ventilation I want...” Carol continued to give demands to the rest of the team. “As for Thor and Bucky, search the home.” Everyone agreed with Danver’s orders, and Steve nodded, looking out the window of the truck.</p>
<p>“Hey man, you alright?” Sam asked Steve through his headset, taking in his appearance, sitting across from him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I’m good. Getting my head in the game.”</p>
<p>“Okay.” Sam narrowed his eyes, nodding but not believing him. “Let’s do this, boys and girls.”</p>
<p>At the scene, Bucky and Thor went to the hatch to grab their tanks and masks before running into the burning house in record time. </p>
<p>“I’ll go left, and you go right,” Thor commanded over the walkie.</p>
<p>“Got it,” Bucky added. “First bedroom clear.” </p>
<p>“Living room clear,” Thor voiced.</p>
<p>Steve went to talk with the ventilation team but noticed the house’s skylight on the roof was already broken, so the ladder truck wouldn’t be needed. He rushed back over to Danver’s to figure out the next game plan when Thor’s voice broke through the walkie.</p>
<p>“Found Ian in the kitchen, heading out now. Val, get the gurney ready.”</p>
<p>Steve watched Thor run out with Ian in his arms, coughing. He placed him on the gurney, and Val put an oxygen mask on him, but he immediately pulled it off. </p>
<p>“My wife, Darcy,” he wheezed in a British accent. “She’s still in there. Please...please save her.” </p>
<p>“Barnes, his wife is still in there somewhere,” Carol commanded into her walkie, but there was no reply. “Barnes.”</p>
<p>A second later, Bucky was running out of the burning house with Darcy in his arms. He laid her on the ground and tore off his mask, and shouted, “she’s not breathing.” Sam rushed to their side and started chest compressions. </p>
<p>Ian jumped off the gurney and ran over to them. “Please...please help her. Don’t let her die,” Ian cried, holding onto Darcy’s hand. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”</p>
<p>Steve’s eyes stayed glued to the scene before him. His mouth went dry, and he started to hear his heartbeat in his ears. He tried to concentrate on breathing evenly, but it didn’t help. He turned away from the scene, stumbling to the side of the truck. He squeezed his eyes shut as flashes of Peggy drifted to the front of his mind: her smiling at him as they laid in bed together, her waving goodbye to him when he went off to work, and her lying motionless on the cold ground. He put a hand on the truck to hold himself steady, feeling his chin start to tremble and his chest start to tighten with every breath he took. </p>
<p>Steve heard a cry of relief behind him, forcing his eyes to snap open. He glanced over his shoulder as all the oxygen left his lungs, seeing Darcy sitting up and hugging her husband. He turned back to the truck, closing his eyes, causing a few tears to slide down his cheeks. He shook his head, knowing he should be happy Darcy is alive, and we got to her in time, but his mind continued to drift back to the worst day of his life. </p>
<p>“You okay, pal?” Bucky inquired in a soothing voice.</p>
<p>Steve’s eyes shot open, rubbing his hand on his cheeks before he turned around.  “Yeah.” He nodded his head a little too much, waving it off. “It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.”</p>
<p>“You sure, pal, because you don’t look fine to me.”</p>
<p>“I will be--” he licked his lips “--how...how is she?”</p>
<p>“She’s breathing. They’re both on their way to the hospital now.”</p>
<p>“Good,” Steve swallowed, letting out a deep sigh of relief. “That’s good.” </p>
<p>“Hey, I’m here if you need me.” Bucky patted him on the back before stepping away to help calm down the blaze. </p>
<p>“You okay, Rogers?” Carol asked, and Steve snapped his head in her direction. </p>
<p>“Yeah, Carol. I’m fine--” he leaned against the truck “--think I--I think I inhaled a little too much smoke. Heads a little fuzzy.”</p>
<p>“That makes total sense, considering you were nowhere near the smoke,” she recalled, earning a slight smirk from Steve.  He shook his head about to say something, but she beat him to it. “Hey, I get it.” He gulped, rubbing his lips together. “It’s always hard when you’re working a call, and something triggers a memory. Good, bad, or whatever, but it pulls you back to that day, making you feel something you wish you didn’t have to feel again.” She paused, shaking her head. “I know what you went through, but it’s one of the reasons I hired you to be a part of my team. I might sound like a terrible person for saying this, but you know what loss is, and sometimes if you experience it, you will do whatever it takes to make sure others don’t feel that way.”</p>
<p>Steve bit his lip, nodding at the ground. </p>
<p>“You’re a great member to our team, Rogers. And I want you to know that there are counselors available to you in case you need to talk, or if you want to talk to the team, we’re all here for you.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Ace, but I’ve gotten the whole run down before and talked to someone in Brooklyn after everything happened.”</p>
<p>“Take advantage of it here, too. It will help, or you can always talk to someone else,” she suggested with a half shrug.</p>
<p>“Thanks, I’ll consider it.” He nodded as she patted him on the shoulder and returned to the front line. </p>
<p>_________</p>
<p>You sat down on the couch, pulling a blanket over you, and switched on the tv. You browsed through the many streaming services you had, along with a few Loki paid for. The sound of the front gate buzzing forced you to let out a loud annoyed sigh. You crawled out from under your warm blanket and went to the digital screen to see who was at the front gate. Your eyes widened, realizing it was Steve. You haven’t talked to him since you ran out of his house like a crazy person, but what was he doing here? Thor and Steve were on the same shift tonight, and judging by the small screen, he was still wearing his fire station logo shirt.</p>
<p>“Fuck, something happened to Thor,” you mumbled, buzzing Steve in as you started pacing the front doorway. He knocked on the door, and you took in a sharp breath, opening the door. Steve was still a little dirty, but you could tell he tried to clean himself up. His ears and some of his neck still had smoke residue on them, but something in his blue eyes told you something was wrong. </p>
<p>“Is everything okay, Steve? Did something happen to Thor?” </p>
<p>“No, no, he's fine,” He looked down at his appearance. “I’m sorry. I wasn't thinking when I came straight here, but yeah, yes, your brother is fine.”</p>
<p>“You don’t have to be sorry. Everyone’s okay, that’s all that matters,” you replied, furrowing your brows together. “But...but are you okay? Here come in.” You opened the door for him and closed it behind him.</p>
<p>“It’s about the other night when you rushed out of my apartment after breaking the wine glass.”</p>
<p>“Oh, um, yeah. I’m sorry about that, again.” Your voice cracked, crossing your arms across your chest. </p>
<p>“Hey, it wasn’t your fault. No need to apologize for it.” He held up his hands to show he wasn’t going to hurt you. “I hope you know that it was an accident, and accidents happen all the time.” He shrugged, putting his hands in his front pockets.</p>
<p>“I know,” you whispered, rubbing your hands over your upper arms. </p>
<p>“I got to thinking about how it might have triggered something like...like a memory with Billy.” He paused, licking his lips as he watched your eyes flash to his.  “I remember you mentioning a wine glass before, but I’m only asking because before I came here, I had a trigger. A memory of something I would rather forget and move on from, but I can’t.”</p>
<p>“What sort of memory?” You questioned, stepping a little closer to him. </p>
<p>He stared at the ground, rubbing his scruff with his hand, and let out a deep breath, and his eyes connected with yours. “It reminded me of my wife and how I didn't get to her in time to save her.” </p>
<p>Your eyes widened, and you didn't know what to say. “I’m so sorry, Steve. I had no idea.”</p>
<p>“Most people don’t,” he shrugged with his hands still in his pockets.</p>
<p>Steve crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the back of your couch, staring off into the distance. Steve was doing what you always did. Replaying the same scene over and over again, trying to come forth with a different solution, but it would always end the same way.</p>
<p>You stepped closer to Steve to see his eyes drift back up to you. You offer him your hand and lead him to the other side of the couch. </p>
<p>“Thinking about her now feels like it all happened ages ago.” He stared at the coffee table, folding his hands together in front of him.</p>
<p>“Was her name Peggy?” His eyes shot to yours, and he nodded. “How did you two meet?”</p>
<p>Steve smirked to himself before looking over at you. “We met when I was a junior in high school. She was going to this fancy prep school for the elite, and I was in public school. I don’t know how I caught her attention…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Steve was in the public library, researching information for his english final. His cheek throbbed after getting into a fight earlier today that his mom would ground him for later, but right now, he needed to get this done. His family didn’t own a computer, and he always ended up using Bucky’s for projects but knew he could get it done if he spent enough time at the library. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There was some commotion behind him, and from the reflection on the computer screen, it was a group of girls sitting down at a table. They were whispering about something, and Steve couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Libraries are quiet for a reason, so people can focus on what they came to do and leave when it's done. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He sighed, glancing over his shoulders after hearing more loud whispers and a few giggles. They were from an elite school, judging by their uniforms. Three of them were looking at him and smiling, but the one had her head in a book. He couldn’t help but notice her brunette hair and the bright red lipstick on her lips that he couldn't help but feel drawn to. She looked up, and he nodded at them, slipping on his headphones and getting back to work. On the computer screen, he could see Red Lips staring at him every so often, and he couldn’t help but smirk. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He was working on the conclusion when someone patted him on the back, and he looked over to see Bucky, narrowing his eyebrows at him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What’s up, man?” He asked, taking off his headphones.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Whoa, pal, what happened to your face?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It will heal.” Steve shrugged, biting his bottom lip. “It was just a little fight. Not a big deal.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why do you always have to pick on the big guy?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Usually, he's the jerk.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Right,” Bucky chuckled, shaking his head. “Did you see those elite girls behind you? I mean, Wow!” Bucky winked in their direction, and they giggled.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yeah, hard to miss with all their giggles. I had to put my headphones on,” Steve added, looking over at them, immediately finding Red Lips. She rolled her eyes, but he didn’t miss the small subtle smirk on her lips that she was trying to hide. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Pal, I think they were trying to get your attention.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Why?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You don’t know a damn thing about women, do you?” Bucky grinned, putting his hands in his pockets and leaning against one of the computer chairs next to him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Like you do? We’re still in high school, Buck. We don’t really know anything about women.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Speak for yourself, champ.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Steve rolled his eyes after saving everything to a flash drive and stood up. “Let’s get out of here.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“Then, a week later, I saw her again, but she was alone this time. She sat at the same table, chewing on the tip of her pencil, reading through her textbook, and taking notes. She was still in her school uniform, and her lips were still the same shade of red…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Not with your friends today?” Steve asked, taking off this backpack. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>She looked around her as if he was talking to someone else, but then her eyes connected with his. “I could say the same about your friend.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His eyes widened at hearing a British accent pass her lips. “I focus better when he’s not here. He can get pretty annoying.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’ll have to agree with you there. All the excessive giggling isn’t a good focus aid either,” She smirked, shaking her head. “It’s nice to see your bruise is healing nicely on your cheek.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Oh ah, yeah,” Steve reached up to touch his cheek. “I’m Steve Rogers.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Peggy Carter.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“Every week, like clockwork, I would see her, and we ended up doing homework together. Not like we were learning the same things, but just to be in the same room together. It took me a while to finally get the nerve to ask her out. I still remember her response to this day--” he smiled to himself “--Wow, you really don’t know a bloody thing about women because you should’ve done this months ago,” Steve voiced in a British accent.</p>
<p>“She sounds like she knew how to put you in your place,” you smirked at him, and he nodded.</p>
<p>“She did.”</p>
<p>“What happened after high school?”</p>
<p>“I didn’t end up going to college much to my parent's disapproval, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. So instead, I went straight into work while Peggy went to college. I worked a variety of different jobs, trying to find my niche. I ended up working in construction for a couple of years, realizing I like building homes and giving back to the community. It was a satisfying feeling, but I knew I wanted to do more, but I didn’t know how. Weird enough, Peggy was the one who mentioned joining the fire department.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Steve,” Peggy called, walking into their small studio apartment to find Steve making supper. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey, doll. How was class?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Dull, but it’s law school. And, Steven, don’t call me that I'm not made of porcelain.” She walked over, hitting him playfully on the shoulder and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, making his smile spread wider. “At least you won’t look like a choir boy once this grows in,” she joked, rubbing her thumb over his cheek feeling the scruff starting to grow on his face. “Oh, I saw something today on one of the many bulletin boards on campus.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What was that?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Joining the fire department.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“To be a firefighter?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Yes, I grabbed the brochure.” She pulled it out of her purse and handed it to him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’ll look at it later,” he nodded, putting it on the counter behind him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I bet you’d love it, and seeing you in that uniform. Woooo!” Peggy fanned herself with her hand as she walked into the bathroom. “I would swoon dear, swoon.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He chuckled to himself and picked up the brochure, reading parts of it out loud. “‘What fuels your fire?’ Interesting way to grab someone's attention, I guess. ‘We teach, we train, we serve together.’” He hummed, flipping open the brochure and reading it to himself. When he got to the last section, something stuck with him. “As a firefighter, you are a role model, and you will make a difference.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I think someone is sold on the idea,” Peggy smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist, and he put his arm around her, pulling her in closer to his side. “And, if you don’t like it, you can quit and find something else.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It might be worth a shot,” he grinned, leaning down and kissing Peggy. “Thanks for looking out for me, Peg.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“Swoon, can I say I love her?” you commented, hearing him let out a soft chuckle. </p>
<p>“Everyone did, and after she showed me that brochure, I went to do the 14-week program at the Fire Academy in New Jersey, and she was right, I loved it. Being able to work with a team and build a sense of camaraderie with each other. It was like having an extended family.” He paused, wringing his hands together. “When Peggy graduated law school, she was offered a prestigious position at a law firm in Manhattan, and I got recruited by one of the fire stations in Brooklyn. Then, I finally went out and bought Peggy a ring with the money I saved up working all those odd-end jobs… </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Steve, what about this big one? It says, sorry boys, I’m taken when she’s at the office, and it’s enough to make her friends jealous,” Bucky commented, pointing at the rings in the case. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Steve shook her head, “She’s not like that, Buck. She doesn’t want a big rock; she wants something practical enough to wear to work and put away the bad guys, but pretty enough that she can show it off.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Sounds like you are in a real debacle, pal.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Steve hummed, scanning over the many different styles of ring. He wasn’t an expert, but he knew what Peggy would like and not like.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Hey, Steve. I am actually in a bit of a debacle myself.” Bucky confided, leaning against one of the ring cases.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“What about?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I got offered a position at one of the Los Angeles Fire Department stations.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You want to leave Brooklyn?” Steve questioned, narrowing his eyes at him.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"I don’t know, it sounds like a great opportunity. And, I kind of always felt like getting out of here, living somewhere else, and trying something new.” </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I get it, and there isn’t much holding you here besides your friends and family. I mean, who cares about them, am I right?" Steve sighed, shrugging his shoulders in defeat as he continued to search for a ring.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I've already talked with them about it, and they think I should do it.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Wait, really?" Steve's head snapped to Bucky, and he nodded. "To be honest, Buck, I will miss you and Peggy will, too, but if it’s an opportunity you don’t want to pass up, then I think you should do it.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Really?"</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"Yeah," Steve smiled, and Bucky pulled him in for an abrupt hug. Steve patted Bucky on the back a few times before they separated. "You just have to promise me you won’t do anything stupid out there.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>"How can I? When I’m keeping all the stupid here with you.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Are you gentlemen looking for anything in particular?” Steve looked up at the guy behind the counter. This name tag read Broker, and he probably had the best eyebrows in the business.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Um, yeah, an engagement ring that is stylish but still practical and pretty.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You got anything like that,” Bucky asked, crossing his arms.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I might have a few; excuse me for a second,” Broker nodded, walking into the back room.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“So when you find this ring? How are you going to do it?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“At the public library.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m sorry, that old place,” Bucky chuckled, shaking his head. “I thought you would take her out to a romantic dinner and hide it in her dessert or in her wine glass."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“We met there, and it’s kind of symbolic in a way. And hiding the ring in dessert, do you know nothing about woman Bucky? Most women just want to eat their dessert, not make it a scavenger hunt and be a reason to break a tooth."</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Good point,” he agreed, pointing his finger at him. “I’m sure whatever you do, Peggy will love it.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Thanks, man.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Here we are, gentlemen. I found these three rings that are both elegant and practical.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Steve stared down at them, and his eyes continued traveling to one. He picked it up with a small smirk on his lips and glanced over at Bucky.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It’s perfect, pal.” Bucky grinned, patting him on the back.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“Did you end up proposing at the public library?” You couldn’t help the warm smile gracing your lips.</p>
<p>“Yes,” he nodded. “And she loved it. She said it was cheesy, but she loved it.”</p>
<p>“Any girl would.”</p>
<p>“Anyways, we got married at her family's estate. It was a small yet charming wedding. She wore this amazing dress, but my favorite part was the red lipstick she wore.” His face flushed at the memory, letting out a content sigh. “We ended up moving to Brooklyn after her parents helped us put a down payment on a small four-story home, and it was way better than any studio apartment we crammed into.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Steve, I don’t think I will ever get tired of this kitchen,” Peggy smiled, cutting some lettuce on one side of the island while Steve formed burgers on the other side. They were having a little housewarming slash Fourth of July Birthday bash for him. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Steve smiled at her comment as his eyes wandered around the kitchen. The cabinets were teal with a stony black countertop. The ceiling had exposed wooden beams, giving it a rustic flair. Three lights hung down over a wooden oak island in the center of the kitchen. It was a kitchen you would see in a home magazine, but instead, it was their kitchen. It even had two sinks, but he didn’t understand the purpose of them both. Although, he did enjoy the huge fridge and the amount of space in the walk-in pantry. It was a professional kitchen for two amateur cooks. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“If it wasn’t the kitchen that sold me on this house, then it was that huge bathtub in the master bathroom. No more all in one shower and bath.” She grinned, starting to cut the vegetables for the veggie plate. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“My favorite is the rooftop deck.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Of course it is--” she shook her head “--it’s gonna turn into a man cave up there soon. I mean, I did buy you that new grill for your birthday today, but I wonder what else you and the guys are gonna drag up there.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“It won’t be anything too crazy.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“That’s what you say now,” she winked.</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“It does sound like a kitchen you’d see in a magazine.”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” His calming smile drifted away, leaving a frown in its place. “Remember when you mentioned the Arson Artist, Aldrich Killian?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, the guy that targeted first responder's families.” You nodded, not missing how Steve's jaw clenched at your statement.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t completely honest when I told you I knew some people that lost someone during his reign--” his eyes drifted to yours as he let out a deep breath “--my...my wife, Peggy, died in his last so-called masterpiece.”</p>
<p>You didn’t know what to say to him. His wife was killed, and a simple sorry wasn't going to bring her back or make him feel any better. Without hesitation, you reached out and grabbed a hold of his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. His eyes traveled down to your conjoined hands, and he interlocked his fingers between yours.</p>
<p>Steve remained silent, staring down at the coffee table. His elbow rested on his knee as his head rested in his other hand. Steve squeezed his eyes shut, lowering his head in his hand, resting it against his forehead. He let out a shaky breath, and you gave his hand another comforting squeeze. </p>
<p>"Steve, you don't have to tell me this if it's going to upset you. I understand better than anyone when it comes to talking about the messy things in life. You don't owe me an explanation," you explained, placing your other hand on his forearm. He turned his head in his hand to you, seeing his tearful eyes looking back at you. He sat up, rubbing his hand down his face and scratching at his jaw. He sniffled, staring back at you.  </p>
<p>“I know that…but…um...I want to," He breathed, clearing his throat. “So..um...there’s this one day I kind of have engraved in my head, and as much as I try to forget what happened, I can’t. In my head, that day never changes and always has the same ending. The ending I hate reliving whenever I’m triggered…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Steve sighed, laying in his bed with Peggy asleep next to him. He looked over at her, noticing she was laying on her stomach with her head almost off her pillow, breathing heavily in and out. Her hair was sticking up in all directions and her mouth was slightly open. He loved waking up next to her and seeing this site before him. He smirked, reaching over to grab his phone, knowing he had a 24 hours shift starting in 5 hours. He wouldn’t get to wake up next to her pretty face tomorrow, so he decided to snap a picture to smile at tomorrow or to blackmail her with it later. He snapped the picture.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You better delete that, or I will kill you, Steve Rogers.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He chuckled. “Okay, yup, deleted.” He reached over, setting his phone back down on the end table.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You’re a horrible liar." She looked up at the alarm clock and sighed, putting her head back on the pillow. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“You know what would be fun to do this morning?”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Making me breakfast.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I can do that after,” he scooted closer to Peggy. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Or you can do it now,” Peggy stated, not moving away from Steve's advances as Steve put his hand around her waist and flipped her over, so he was on top of her.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m not going to see you for a full 24 hours.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I’m sure you have pictures.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Pictures don’t do you justice, Red Lips.” He leaned down, puckering his lips and waiting for her kiss. She rolled her eyes with a loud sigh, leaning up and giving in to his kiss. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>After an energetic morning he made Peggy her favorite breakfast before taking a quick shower and getting dressed in his uniform. He came downstairs to see Peggy waiting for him by the door.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“If you didn’t have to go to work right now, I would take you upstairs for round 3,” she winked, giving him a quick kiss.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I will definitely take you up on that offer if you’re up for it, Peg.” He wiggled his eyebrows, forcing her to laugh as he wrapped his arms around her. “Love you.” He leaned down and kissed her again.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Love you, too, Steven.” She hugged him close. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Stay safe.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I will.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>“The day started out like any other day, and there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. A few calls came in about car accidents, heart attacks, and a grease fire at a local restaurant. And things were looking up with the Arson Artist case because the FBI brought in Anvil to help with the investigation. Around six that night, we got dispatched to a house fire in Brooklyn….”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Alright boys, you know the drill,” Captain Phillips stated over their headphones. “It could be a house fire, but keep your eyes peeled for anything that looks suspicious.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Steve looked out the window of the engine, and he realized this was the main road he took to work. His heart started to beat rapidly against his chest as he looked out the front window to see what street they were going to turn down. When they turned down his street, all the air left his lungs; his home was on fire. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The truck didn’t even come to a complete stop, and he was out of the truck engine. He sprinted towards his front door, tossing on his jacket and his helmet as he heard his Captain yelling his name, but he ignored it. He skipped up the steps he so casually walked down earlier that morning.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>When he kicked the front door in, all he saw was flames. “PEGGY,” he shouted, coughing into his sleeve. “PEGGY.” He hid his face with the sleeve of his jacket, running inside. He squinted his eyes against the smoke, not seeing anything, but something dark in the kitchen caught his eye. He stepped over to the kitchen, coughing as his eyes watered from the excessive amount of smoke in the air. When he reached the kitchen, he saw her tied to a chair with her head hanging down on her chest. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>His heart broke, putting her chin in his hands. “Peggy,” he cried, feeling his eyes start to fill with real tears. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Dum Dum came in and grabbed ahold of Steve, pushing him towards the front door, and Gabe cut Peggy free from the restraints, carrying her in his arms. Once Steve was outside, he ran to Peggy seeing her body weak, barely clinging to life. Gabe laid her on the ground, and Jim felt for a heartbeat. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Starting compressions,” Jim stated. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Please, please help her,” Steve cried, leaning down next to her. “Come on, Peggy.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Checking for a pulse, nothing. Starting compressions again.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Come on, Pegs. Please.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“I got a pulse, but it’s faint. Let’s get her on the gurney and to the hospital, stat.” Jim and Dum Dum lifted her body onto the gurney and slid it into the back of the ambulance.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Steve, go,” Dum Dum commanded. “We’ll do all we can here.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He nodded, hopping into the back of the ambulance, grabbing a hold of Peggy’s hand. He brought her hand to his lips, and he cried, staring down at her. “I’m so sorry, Pegs.” Jim put an oxygen mask on her and a heart rate monitor clip on her finger. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Man, it’s not your fault it was the Arson Artist,” Jim replied, and Steve shot him a quick nod.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He clutched onto her hand, not wanting to let go. He couldn’t lose her. They were just starting their lives together, and he didn’t know what he would do without her. They had so many things they still wanted to do: get weird hobbies, travel the world, start a family. She’ll pull through this; she has to. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>“Almost there, Stevie.” Jim squeezed his shoulder, but he couldn’t remove his eyes from Peggy’s form. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>He squeezed his eyes shut, realizing Peggy was going to be okay. They were going to get to the hospital, and she was going to make it, and he wouldn’t have to say goodbye.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Peggy’s heart rate monitor flatlined, and Steve’s eyes shot open. Jim went to the side of the gurney, pushing Steve out of the way, and administered CPR again. Steve’s eyes started to fill with tears once he realized his worst fear was becoming a reality. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The back of the ambulance doors flung open, and Jim shook his head. Steve grabbed ahold of Peggy’s hand once more and removed her oxygen mask. He cradled her face with one hand, holding on tight to her hand with the other. He stared at her, thinking it was all a dream and he would wake up to her smacking him with a pillow. He could feel his heartache with every shaky breath he took. He gulped, letting out a sob, running his thumb across her bottom lip. He leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “I’m so sorry, Peg.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>Your heart broke as a stray tear slid down your cheek, and you wiped it away. “Steve, I’m ahh…”</p>
<p>“I know." His tear-filled eyes flashed to yours, and he blinked them away, not giving them a chance to fall. </p>
<p>Without a second thought, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. He was tense at first but then relaxed, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to him. You heard him let out a sniffle, forcing you to squeeze him a little tighter. You rubbed his back, trying to keep your tears at bay but having little success. “Please tell me you still have that picture of her sleeping.” You could feel Steve let out a soft chuckle as he loosened his grip and pulled away from you. </p>
<p>“I do,” he sniffled, clearing his throat. </p>
<p>You eyed him, noticing the reminisce of tears on his cheeks. You grabbed the box of tissues sitting on the coffee table, taking a few, and handing them to Steve. He sighed, wiping the tears away, leaning back against the couch. He ran his hands down his face and tried to refocus.</p>
<p>“After everything happened, I was a mess. I didn’t want to believe she was gone. I hoped it was all a dream, but it wasn’t, and I blamed myself for not getting to her in time.” He paused, clearing his throat. “I was constantly thinking about the what if’s and the if onlys of what I could’ve done differently. Not like it mattered much because she wasn’t coming back,” he breathed, blinking away tears that started to form in the corner of his eyes. </p>
<p>“But it wasn’t your fault.”</p>
<p>“You’re right to someone else looking in, it wasn’t my fault, it was Killians, but I didn’t want to see it that way. I thought if I stayed mad at myself, it would somehow fix it, but I wasn’t in my right mind. I was hurting and pushing those who cared about me away. I was depressed but was too stubborn to admit it.</p>
<p>When I returned to work after my leave, my captain, Captain Phillips, declared me unstable and took me off active duty. He thought it was safer for me and everyone else if he put me behind a desk. I know he was looking out for me and wanted me to get better, but all I had left was my job, and he took it away from me.” Steve shrugged, running a hand through his hair. </p>
<p>“After about eight months, Phillips gave me an ultimatum. The only way I would be reinstated to active duty is if I talked to one of the department's assigned therapists at Ancient One and Associates.” He let out a deep breath. “It wasn’t so much an option as it was an order. I wasn’t myself, and I haven’t been. He wasn’t the only one who saw it, but my squad did too. Whether it was from seeing the bags under my eyes due to the lack of sleep or from my pants getting looser from skipping meals.  I was numb, lonely, and my family and friends didn’t know what to say to me. I shut them out, even the ones who reached out and tried to help me. I didn’t know how to talk about it, I didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to let her go. I didn’t want this to be my new reality. I knew there was no other way for me to get around this by myself, so I decided to go to therapy.”</p>
<p>You remained silent as he paused, biting his lip, trying to figure out what to say next. He stared at the coffee table, and you couldn’t help but admire him. Steve’s been through so much, and you never would’ve suspected any of this with the way he carries himself. He seems so sure of himself and always has his feelings in check, but deep down, he has been through hell and back. </p>
<p>“When I first went to therapy, I thought it wouldn’t help me. On the first day, the Ancient One called me out on it, saying heroes are the ones who don’t think they need help, but sometimes they need it the most and are simply ashamed to admit it. She was right,” Steve mumbled with a half shrug. </p>
<p>“With everything that happened, I had a hard time accepting the truth and forgiving myself because I didn’t want to forget her. Peggy was so special to me, and I didn’t want to push her aside as if I didn’t love her anymore. I still did, and a part of me still does.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and wringing his hands together in front of him. “The Ancient One helped me see things from a different perspective, and in ways, I never thought possible. There was one point when she reversed our roles, asking how Peggy would have responded if I was the one who died. To be honest, I never thought of it like that because I always wished I died with her, but when I thought about it, I know Peggy would’ve accepted it sooner than I did. Sure, she would’ve been emotional that I was gone, but I know she would’ve been strong for everyone else, and when she’d go home alone, she would grieve. Then, if Peggy ever found someone new, who cared for her like I did or more, I’d want her to get remarried. All I would want is for her to be happy.</p>
<p>After realizing this new perspective, I knew Peggy would’ve wanted the same for me. To be able to move on and be happy. So, I focused on getting better and going to therapy, which then got me reinstated to active duty. Things were looking up for the better, and I knew Peggy would be happy for me. </p>
<p>I even started reaching out to a few friends I shut out, one of them being Bucky. I hadn’t spoken to him since Peggy’s funeral, but I hoped he’d answer and accept my apology. We ended up talking at least once a week, and then he mentioned a job opening at his station in L.A. I saw it as a chance to start over, so I took it.” He let out a deep breath. “Don’t get me wrong, I loved Brooklyn, but it felt off after Peggy died, and then my mom passed away, which was inevitable because she had been sick for a while. But with all that happened, Brooklyn didn’t feel like home, it was just a city filled with traffic, noise, and crowds. I felt alone in a city filled with people,” he sighed, shaking his head, looking over at you.</p>
<p>“You make moving on sound so easy.”</p>
<p>“It’s not. It’s probably one of the hardest things to do; it takes time, and it’s about moving on from the past and living in the now. Before I came out here, I talked about everything and made amends with my coworkers, apologized to my friends for being so selfish, and said goodbye to my parents and Peggy. It took me a while to get to that point, but I’m happy to be where I am today.” Steve nodded, shooting you a closed-mouth smile.</p>
<p>“What do you think she thinks about you moving to LA and leaving Brooklyn?”</p>
<p>“She’d understand, and I know she’d want me to be happy and to try to move on from her. I know she’d be proud to see how far I’ve come, but she knows I’ll never forget her.” You reached out and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He smirked, his eyes drifting to yours.  “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve talked about Peggy with anyone I wasn’t paying.”</p>
<p>“Remind me to send you the bill,” you said, removing your hand from his and pointing at him.</p>
<p>He chuckled, “I’ll look for it, but mail does get lost quite a bit.”</p>
<p>“Can I ask what triggered you to tell me all this?” You asked, earning a quick nod from Steve.</p>
<p>“Today, I saw a husband watch his wife get carried out of their burning home. He cried, begging us to bring her back, not wanting to lose the other half of himself. He didn’t, but to me, it brought back the worst day of my life.” He turned towards you, staring into your eyes. “There is always going to be a trigger. It can either be a good memory or a bad one, but whatever happens, it’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about.”</p>
<p>Your eyes flashed to his, and you gulped, knowing he was referring to the wine glass incident. You nodded, “It's just every once in a while I see something or feel something that reminds me of him, and it triggers something in me, and I can't be pulled back.”</p>
<p>“I get it. You always hear time heals things, but the truth is ignoring it and not talking about it only compounds the damage and makes it worse. You’re hoping it fades away, but it’s always in the back of your mind, haunting you and reminding you of everything that happened. The Ancient One told me it is better to allow yourself to feel what you went through because pretending you’re not hurt is not the same thing as healing; it just prolongs it. We may have experienced a different kind of loss. I lost my wife, and you lost yourself. It’s a different scenario, but the advice is the same.”</p>
<p>“How are you so full of wise words?”</p>
<p>“Therapy helps and life experiences,” Steve nodded with a soft chuckle. “Is that cliche?”</p>
<p>“A little,” you smiled. “Both our lives have been pretty messed up, huh?”</p>
<p>“Maybe it's fate’s way of giving us a second chance.”</p>
<p>“If you believe in that spiritual mumbo jumbo sort of thing,” you snorted, making him roll his eyes. “Why did you decide to tell me about Peggy?”</p>
<p>“You see, there is this girl I like, and I felt like I owed it to myself and her to be honest about it since she shared her story with me. I wanted her to get to know the side I don’t share with many people,” he smirked with a tint of pink hitting his cheeks. He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck.  </p>
<p>A sweet smile graced your lips, feeling a rush of heat to your face. “Well, she appreciates you telling her, and I can inform you that she feels the same way about you.” </p>
<p>“That’s good,” he cracked a smile, looking over at you with his blue eyes sparkling. “At least now I know I didn’t make a complete fool of myself.”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t say that,” you chuckled, feeling his body vibrate at your side with a silent snicker. “Are you going to be okay with going back to work?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I have a good support system there, and I know my team has my back. It’s like one big messy extended family,” he smirked, nodding your head in agreement. “Speaking of work, I should probably get back to my shift before another call comes in, and Carol wonders why this detour is taking me so long.” He winked, pushing himself off the couch.  </p>
<p>“Yeah, you don’t want to get on her bad side.” You joked, standing up off the couch and following him to the door. </p>
<p>“Are you going to be okay?” Steve asked, opening the door and turning to face you. He furrowed his brows together, forming a small crease between them. “Are we going to be okay?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, we’re okay.” You nodded, your eyes drifting to the ground. “I’m getting a little better every day--” you shrugged, not wanting to talk about it “-- it just takes time, right?” </p>
<p>His hand lifted your chin and your eyes flashed to his. “I know you’ll get there.” He shot you a shy smile, brushing his thumb along your cheek, sending a rush of heat to your face. He dropped his hand, grabbing a hold of yours.  “Remember, if you need someone to listen and is full of wisdom, I’m here for you. And don’t be ashamed to give therapy a chance; trust me, it will help more than you think.”</p>
<p>“Okay, hot stuff. I get it, “ you scoffed, shaking your head. “Stay safe out there.”</p>
<p>“I will. Have a good night, YN.” He brought your hand to his lips and kissed it, letting it go. You rolled your eyes at his gesture, but you couldn’t stop the smile inching its way across your face.</p>
<p>You watched him walk down the sidewalk to your front gate, and he turned around one more time, waving goodbye. You waved back before he opened the gate and it clicked shut behind him. You closed your front door and leaned against it, covering your face in your hands, and let out a loud sigh. Steve seemed ready to take the next step, but were you? </p>
<p>You walked back over to the couch, returning to your blanket and switching the tv back on. You picked out a random movie to watch, but soon it became white noise in the background. You haven’t been in a relationship since Billy, and to be frank, you were scared to give the whole relationship thing another shot. You and Steve joked about it, but you never thought it would actually happen. Even though Steve and Billy are two very different people, you couldn’t help but be reminded of all the negatives that could come with it. Were you even ready? Should you have even been hanging out with Steve?  Were you leading him on? What if he did the same thing Billy did? With all the negatives that came to your mind, maybe Steve was right, maybe it was time to give therapy a chance.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Part 13! If you haven't noticed yet, I'm all for angst, I don't like feeling it, but I like writing it!! This is probably one of my favorite chapters in this series because it's both emotional and tragic. I'm really hoping that while reading this part you fell in love with Peggy. Her part wasn't huge huge, but I hope it made you realize what Steve lost and how much she meant to him. Emotions, am I right!!  Also, I felt doing the whole flashback thing for Steve would show the different relationship dynamic that Peggy and Steve had versus her and Billy's. Huge difference obviously, and I felt like it would be better to show how they communicated and acted towards each other rather then just talking about it. It's also why I went into a little more detail in the last chapter with Laura and Clint's relationship...again, showing the relationship dynamic. Sorry for that unnecessary ramble! 😂😂  Anyways, do you think she is gonna give therapy a chance? What did you think about Steves backstory? And do you think this slow burn will finally end, and they will finally get together or will it be just a little longer?! 😂 Comments always welcome, and until next week, thanks again! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Happy’s Hydrant wasn’t too packed tonight, but once the next round of first responders clock out, they will come in looking for a stiff drink. You sat in your usual spot with a drink in hand, waiting for your favorite fire squad to finish their shift. It’s been a long two weeks with you taking on extra shifts while covering your own, making it tough to see your friends. Although you did have a chance to talk with Bruce about getting set up with one of the call center therapists,  and that’s how you met Dr. Wendy Lawson at Project Pegasus. </p>
<p>At first, it was tough, you didn’t know what to expect, and it felt like a weird first date. You wanted to be open and honest, but it’s hard to get comfortable and share your problems with a stranger, but Dr. Lawson surprised you. She was very open and honest with you about how she wanted to help you as long as you were willing to try, and with Steve’s encouraging words, you felt like it didn’t hurt to give it a shot. </p>
<p>Your phone vibrating on the table brought you back to the present. You glanced down at the screen, smirking when you saw Steve’s face.</p>
<p>
  <em><b>Steve: </b>We are heading out now. Sam had a rough last call, but Bucky convinced him to come out for a few. Be there soon :)</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em><b>YN:</b> Poor Sam. I’ll be here!</em>
</p>
<p>The one person you stayed in contact with these last two crazy weeks was Steve. You talked to him at least once a day on the phone, only ever exchanging good morning texts. It felt outdated to talk on the phone, but you liked listening to him talk, and his laugh never failed to bring a smile to your face. You could talk to Steve about anything and everything, and it was so easy and fun. With Billy, it always felt like a second job, but with no benefits and one wrong move would get you fired. </p>
<p>A cold shiver ran up your spine, sparking you to sit up straighter. It sends a tingle to your hands, causing them to fidget with your drink in front of you. You gulped, taking a quick glance over your shoulder, but didn’t see anyone you recognized. You shake your head, running your hand down your face. You let out a deep breath, tracing the stained circled rings on the wooden bar. If Billy was going to find you, wouldn’t he have done it already?</p>
<p>Your eyes snapped to the front door creaking open and sighed in relief, seeing your brother's big frame walking through the door followed by Steve, Sam, and Bucky. Bucky’s arm was wrapped around Sam's shoulders, almost as if he was pulling him into the bar, and Sam had the most annoyed look on his face. </p>
<p>You hopped off your seat as the guys made their way over to you. When Sam got closer, you pulled him into a big hug. He hesitated at first, then loosely wrapped his arms around you. “Come on, Wilson. I don’t hug just anybody.”</p>
<p>He wrapped his arms tighter around you. “This is new for you.” You didn’t need to see him to know he was smiling. </p>
<p>“New beginning.”</p>
<p>“So I’ve heard, I’m proud of you, girl.” Sam squeezed you tighter, letting a laugh escape you, and he chuckled, swaying you back and forth.  Steve caught your eye, winking at you with his signature smirk on his face, and you couldn’t help but return the smile.</p>
<p>“Thanks, Sam. How you doing?” You pulled Sam at arm's length, seeing a slight sadness in his eyes.</p>
<p>“It’s tough, but I’ll get through it,” Sam nodded with a half shrug. “We all have our own ways of coping.” You shot him a warm smile, returning to your stool at the bar. </p>
<p>“How was your shift, fellas?” Happy interrupted, handing out coasters. Sam grunted to himself, taking one of the stools beside you while Steve took the other one.  </p>
<p>“Get this man anything he wants. It’s on me,” Bucky replied, patting Sam on the back. </p>
<p>“The usuals?” Happy asked, earning a nod from everyone. </p>
<p>“This doesn’t mean I like you,” Sam added with a side-eye.</p>
<p>“Wouldn’t expect anything less. Besides, I hate you too much not to let anything get in the way of that.”</p>
<p>“Good.”</p>
<p>“Where did Val and Carol run off to?” You asked, trying to get off the hard topic. </p>
<p>“Oh, they had some other things to attend to,” Thor answered, taking the seat on the other corner by Steve.</p>
<p>“I’m sure they did,” you smirked, eyeing your drink.</p>
<p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Steve inquired, nudging his knee playfully into yours under the counter. </p>
<p>“Nothing.” You take a sip of your drink, peeking over at Steve out of the corner of your eye. “It doesn’t mean anything.”</p>
<p>“You’re lying.” Thor pointed a finger at you, and you locked your mouth with an invisible key and threw it over your shoulder. </p>
<p>“What you’re saying is you have gossip, and you’re not even going to tell us? I mean, the least you could do is tell me -- It might make me feel better,” Sam whined, leaning in closer to you. </p>
<p>“Fine,” you sighed, then covered his ear and whispered, “I would tell you, but then I’d have to kill you, or at least Carol or Val would.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god, guys. It’s so crazy,” Sam smiled, showing off his gap-toothed smile before taking a sip of his beer. “Thanks, YN. I’m already feeling better.”</p>
<p>“I’m hurt, too,” Bucky stated, leaning into your view. You rolled your eyes, and Sam nudged you in the shoulder, shaking his head no.</p>
<p>________________</p>
<p>The bar continued to fill up with first responders getting off their shifts and your brother snuck off to make his rounds around the bar. It still baffled you how he could do that, but then again, he has always been the friendly brother. The rest of you stepped away from the bar and took a spot at one of the tall tables near the pool tables. Steve, Sam, and Bucky were bickering about who was going to play the first game, and you took a seat on the high stools. </p>
<p>Steve plopped down on the stool across from yours, feeling his knees hit your legs. “Guess I am playing winner?”</p>
<p>“Makes sense because you are sooo good,” you scoffed with sarcasm dripping in your voice. </p>
<p>“What! I’m a great player.”</p>
<p>“Never beat me.” You took a sip of your drink, raising your eyebrows up your forehead. </p>
<p>“You wanna go another round?” Steve leaned forward, tilting his head at the other opened pool table.</p>
<p>“No, I just sat down.” You leaned back, resting your back against the backrest as Steve let out a soft chuckle. </p>
<p>You watched Bucky break the rack, causing another shiver to run up your spine. You looked away, chewing on your lip, rubbing your hands over your upper arms. </p>
<p>“You cold?” Steve asked from across the table, placing an open hand for you on the table.</p>
<p>“No, I’m just feeling a bit off tonight.” You shrugged, staring down at his hand before placing one of your hands in his.</p>
<p>“Is everything alright? How’s everything with Dr. Lawson?” Steve leaned in closer, running his thumb over your knuckles.</p>
<p>“Things are great with her. I don’t know…it’s like lately…I get this weird feeling someone is watching me, and this chill runs through me.” You shrugged, rubbing your lips together and staring down at your joined hands. </p>
<p>“Have you talked with her about it?”</p>
<p>“Not yet.” You bite your bottom lip and look up, meeting his eye. “I have only met with her a few times, and I don’t know…it’s a hard topic to bring up.” </p>
<p>“I get it,” Steve breathed, keeping his eyes on you. “Everything you don’t want to talk about is hard to talk about, but the more open you are with her, the more she will know how to help you.” You nodded. “You can tell me anything, and I can tell you everything is going to be alright, but she will help you get to the root of the problem instead of tackling the branches.”</p>
<p>You nodded with a slight smirk. “You are full of metaphors, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Only when I am coming up with speeches off the top of my head,” he smiled, squeezing your hand once more before letting it go.</p>
<p>“Dude, you’re cheating,” Bucky shouted, pointing at Sam moving the white ball to a better access point.</p>
<p>“I’m in pain.”</p>
<p>“How long are you going to use that line?”</p>
<p>“All night,” Sam answered, taking a sip of his beer. “Because I can.” Bucky shook his head and rolled his eyes as he lined up to take a shot.</p>
<p>“This is going to go on all night.” Steve shook his head at the two men, running a hand through his hair. </p>
<p>“But it wouldn’t feel right if they didn’t,” you chuckled, staring at them. </p>
<p>“Got that right.” Steve nodded, clearing his throat. Your eyes connected with his, and noticed a small bead of sweat on his brow. “Hey, I ah…I have been meaning to ask you if you wanted to go out and maybe do something tomorrow night?”</p>
<p>You smirked at the nervousness in his voice. “What did you have in mind?”</p>
<p>“Do you trust me?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Okay, well, wear something comfortable because it is going to be a very active date.”</p>
<p>“Oh…one of those dates, huh? Didn’t think clothes were necessary.” You smiled, biting your lip, not missing the rush of color appearing on his face.</p>
<p>“Maybe another time for that,” he winked. “You don’t have to work the next day, do you?”</p>
<p>“No, why is it going to be an all-night activity?” You wiggled your eyebrows. “You’re digging yourself deeper into a hole, Steve.”</p>
<p>“You know what, forget it.” Steve shook his head, leaning against the backrest of his stool. He crossed his arms across his chest, failing to keep his smile at bay. </p>
<p>“No, no, no. Okay, okay, something comfy. Got it.” You nodded, and Steve let out a soft chuckle, causing his shoulders to shake.</p>
<p>__________</p>
<p>Steve watched you give Sam a long goodbye hug, sharing words only the two of you could hear. Steve walked over, and you wrapped your arms around his waist, and he pulled you in close over your shoulders. He kissed your forehead, and as you pulled away, you placed a quick kiss on his cheek. As Steve watched you walk away, he felt a pat on his shoulder and looked over to see Thor giving him a thoughtful smile. It wasn’t long after you left that Bucky and Thor soon followed, leaving Sam and him deciding whether to play another game of pool or not.</p>
<p>“How about one more game, then I got to head out?” Sam offered, realizing they were the last two remaining.</p>
<p>“Rack’em.”</p>
<p>Steve put the balls in the rack and set up the triangle on one end of the billiards table. He stepped back, bumping into someone. “Oh, crap--” Steve took a step forward and turned around “--I’m sorry, man. Didn’t think anyone was behind me.”</p>
<p>“It’s alright. I can be pretty stealthy.” The guy looked at Steve and narrowed his eyes. “Wait, aren’t you Steve? I met you at the first responder's grill out a few weeks ago, right?”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, that’s right.” Steve’s eyes lit up, remembering the good-looking guy with a beard. “It was Jig, right?” He nodded. “This is Sam Wilson; he also works at Station 107.”</p>
<p>Jig reached over and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”</p>
<p>“Where do you work at?”</p>
<p>“Started at the Northeast LA Police Department a couple of months ago.”</p>
<p>“Oh, the Northeast--” Sam raised his eyebrows. “--my friend Riley works up there.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s on leave because his wife had a son.”</p>
<p>“That’s right, I forgot about that.” Sam clapped his hands together. “I have been meaning to send him a card. Well, he’s a great guy if you need someone to get beers with.”</p>
<p>“I’ll keep that in mind; he might need a few nights out when he gets back.”</p>
<p>“He might,” Sam chuckled, glancing down at his phone. “Actually, you know what, Jig could you take my spot?” He offered him the pool Q, and Jig took it. “It was nice meeting you. I’m glad Stevie is getting out there and making more friends besides us at the station.” Sam patted Steve on the back, pulling on his jacket.</p>
<p>“Have a good one, Sam.” Steve waved, shaking his head. </p>
<p>“He seems like a good guy,” Jig added, pointing at Sam over his shoulder as he walked out the door.</p>
<p>“Great guy, but he beats himself up a lot when something goes wrong on a call. Like one did today, but I think he is feeling better now.”</p>
<p>“That’s rough.”</p>
<p>“It’s hard--” Steve nodded, leaning on the pool Q “--but I am sure you have had similar experiences.”</p>
<p>“For sure,” Jig nodded. “Is it your turn, or are we going to rerack it?”</p>
<p>“Rerack it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The game was turning out to be a heated match. Jig had two stripes left, and Steve had one solid. Jig lined up for a shot, and Steve noticed a certain ring on his hand.</p>
<p>“Wait...are you married?” Steve asked, pointing to his own ring finger on his left hand.</p>
<p>Jig smirked, taking the shot, but missed his striped ball completely. “Yeah, but we are going through a little bit of a rough patch. Um…we are separated right now, but I can’t really give up on her just yet,” he breathed with a half shrug. “My wife never liked me being a police officer, and how I put myself in danger every time I am on duty.” He wrapped his hands around the pool Q, leaning against it. “She always wanted a family, but she doesn’t want to do it alone if something happens, you know.” </p>
<p>“It’s normal for a loved one to feel like that in our line of work.” Steve nodded, lining up his shot. He takes the shot and sinks the ball in the left corner pocket. “No one knows what will happen on the job.”</p>
<p>“You’re not wrong.”</p>
<p>“Eightball, center pocket,” Steve stated, setting up his shot. He hit the white ball, which hit the number eight ball but missed the pocket by an inch. “Awww, man.”</p>
<p>“So close,” Jig chuckled.” What about you, Steve? You got anyone special?”</p>
<p>Steve leaned against his pool cue, and a smile hit his face. “Sort of... well… I don’t really know what to call it, but we hang out a lot. I mean, we haven’t put a label on it yet. We both have been through a lot these last couple of years, so we aren’t rushing anything.”</p>
<p>“Seems like your falling hard for…”</p>
<p>“YN,” he smiled at the ground, feeling a slight blush rush to his cheeks. “She is a 911 dispatcher, and I actually lost my dispatcher cherry to her.”</p>
<p>“Dispatcher cherry?”</p>
<p>“It’s when a fireman talks to a dispatcher on the scene for the first time.”</p>
<p>“That’s a thing?”</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Steve pointed at him, nodding his head. “I didn’t know it was a thing either, but I’m glad I’m not the only one.”</p>
<p>Jig chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s crazy how you both are kind of in the same area of work. What’s she like?” Jig leaned down to take his shot. </p>
<p>“She’s amazing. We have so much fun when we hang out, and we never run out of things to talk about.”</p>
<p>“Wow…and here I was thinking it was just a fling.”</p>
<p>“I assume you would know something about that,” Steve chuckled, gesturing his hands at him.</p>
<p>“Yeah, you’re not the first one to notice. My friends often called me The Beaut of our group. And yes, I’ve had my fair share before my wife came along and put me in my place,” he chuckled, hitting the white ball, and it went right past his striped ball. </p>
<p>“Ouch! Thought you had that one.”</p>
<p>“Me too!” He sighed, shaking his head. “But, she does sound pretty special.”</p>
<p>“She is, and it’s even crazier that I work with her brother, Thor,” Steve stated, moving into position to take his next shot.</p>
<p>“I should warn you; sometimes, it’s the siblings that ruin your relationship.”</p>
<p>“How so?” Steve asked, narrowing his eyes at him. </p>
<p>“When I met my wife’s brothers for the first time. The one, Lance, --” he rolled his eyes “--from the start hated my guts, and I didn’t even do anything to him. He didn’t even give me a chance. And then her other brother, Tim, well, we got along at first, but now he doesn’t say much to me. I think it might be one of the reasons she left me.”</p>
<p>“Man, that’s rough. I’m sorry. Can’t you call and try to talk with her?”</p>
<p>“Not if she doesn’t answer her phone.”</p>
<p>“Well, if you need me to, I can put in a good word for you. From what I can tell, you seem like a pretty good guy.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, I might have to take you up on that,” he said, nodding his head.</p>
<p>“Right corner pocket,” Steve called as he sunk the ball in the pocket he called. “Yes!” </p>
<p>“You’re one hell of a billiards player, Steve.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I know,” Steve nodded. “Another game?”</p>
<p>“Rack’em.”</p>
<p>____________</p>
<p>You swung back and forth in your swivel chair, trying to figure out what Steve had planned for tonight. Something comfy and easy to move in? Dancing, but you didn’t peg him for a dancer. Were we going hiking or playing some sort of sport? What did that man have planned? You leaned forward in your chair as a call came in.</p>
<p>“911, what’s your emergency?”</p>
<p>“The cliff…it collapsed...and my...my...,”  a female voice stuttered.</p>
<p>“Ma’am, where are you?”</p>
<p>“On the Abalone Cove Trail.” </p>
<p>“I am sending the closest unit your way.” </p>
<p>“Do you know if anyone went over?”</p>
<p>“My cameraman Gary. He was figuring out the best shot and the cliff just gave out.”</p>
<p>“Okay, just please stay on the line with me.” You radioed into Station 127. “Captain Quill, we have a cliff collapse rescue, prepare for a possible aerial recon. One known victim and he goes by Gary.”</p>
<p>“Gary. Copy that dispatch. The 127th in route, Quill out.” </p>
<p>“Okay, ma’am, my name is YN. What is yours?”</p>
<p>“Christine...Christine Everhart.” </p>
<p>“Okay, Christine, units are on their way, and I need you to stay where you are. Don’t try to look over the edge to see if you can see him. Just stay put. We want to keep you safe, and as soon as units arrive, they will check on Gary.</p>
<p>“Okay..okay.” She breathed. “It just happened so fast, and he just...”</p>
<p>“I understand,” you consoled, nodding your head for your own reassurance.</p>
<p>“He didn’t even stand a chance. I don’t...I need to see if he is okay.”</p>
<p>“No, Christine, stay where you are. Responders are almost there.”</p>
<p>“Okay, I feel like I could be doing more.”</p>
<p>“You’re doing more by waiting for responders to get there. I know it’s hard, but it’s safer for you to wait because you don’t want the cliff to give out even more. Don’t worry. They're a few blocks away now. Stay calm Christine, and help will be there soon.”</p>
<p>“Yes, yes, okay. You’re right.” She took in a sharp breath as you heard sirens in the background. She let out a deep breath, and you could feel her visibly relax through the phone. “They're here. Thank you so much. Can I hang up now?”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome, and yes, you can hang up whenever you want to.”</p>
<p>“Okay, bye.” </p>
<p>The soundwaves dropped into a straight line on one of the screens as the line went dead. It always reminded you of working in the ER, seeing a heart stop with the same straight line, a dull tone beeping on the monitor, and doing everything you could do to bring them back, but with a phone call, the only thing you could do was use your voice. </p>
<p>You leaned back in your chair with your hand on top of your head and let out a deep breath. “Another day, another call.”</p>
<p>“Tough call?” Bruce asked, looking over at you from his station.</p>
<p>“No, pretty cut and dry.” You shrugged, crossing your arms across your chest.</p>
<p>“You sound bored, but that’s a good thing. It means you’re getting in the swing of things and like what you are doing now.”</p>
<p>“It would seem that way, wouldn’t it,” you smiled. </p>
<p>“How are things going with Dr. Lawson?”</p>
<p>“It’s been going good. It takes a while to warm up to a stranger and reveal all your secrets to them, though.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s tough, but once the trust is there. It gets easier.”</p>
<p>“That’s what I keep hearing. Thanks for recommending her, too.”</p>
<p>“No problem,” Bruce waved it off.</p>
<p>Your line ringing pulled you back to your station, giving a quick nod to Bruce as he stepped away.  “911, what’s your emergency?”</p>
<p>“Hi, so I have no internet?”</p>
<p>“And you think this is a problem 911 can solve?” You asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of your voice. </p>
<p>“Well yeah, don’t you help when there is an emergency?</p>
<p>“This isn’t one of those cases. Have you tried your cable company?” You breathed, rolling your eyes.</p>
<p>“Who?”</p>
<p>“Why don’t you pull out one of your bills, and call the number on there, and not call 911. It’s a good place to start to get your internet fixed.”</p>
<p>“Okay.”</p>
<p>“Good luck.” You click your space bar and hang up. You look over at Bruce and see him playing with his phone. “I hate non-emergency calls.”</p>
<p>“But, they are fun to talk about after.”</p>
<p>“This is true,” you chuckled, pointing at him. </p>
<p> ______________</p>
<p>Opening the front door, you rushed upstairs to shower and get ready. Steve was going to be here any minute, and you had little to no time to get ready.  Luis insisted on sharing this call he took, and like every story, he has to make sure to add in all the little details. You hopped in the shower, jumped back out, slipped on your robe, hearing the gate buzzing by the front door. “Perfect timing.” You clicked on the button to open the gate and grinned, seeing Cosmo tagging along.</p>
<p>Steve knocked on the front door, and you pulled it open. Steve was smirking at Cosmo, but his eyes moved to yours and then traveled down your robe. </p>
<p>“Hey, sorry, I’m running a little behind.”</p>
<p>“It’s okay; I can wait. Cosmo is still good to chill out here while we go out, right?”</p>
<p>“Yes. I’ll just go finish getting ready. Make yourself at home.” You motioned around and started back up the stairs to get ready.  </p>
<p>You stared into your closet, biting your lip, trying to figure out what to put on. On the plus side, Steve was wearing basketball shorts and a t-shirt, so whatever it was didn’t involve the outdoors. You threw a few options on your bed, hearing a commotion coming up the steps.  </p>
<p>“COSMO! COSMO, GET BACK DOWN HERE,” Steve shouted in his dad voice. “She doesn’t want you staring at her while she is getting dressed.” </p>
<p>Cosmo strolled into your bedroom and jumped on the bed, ignoring his dad’s commands. His tongue was hanging out, and what appeared to be a smile on his face. </p>
<p>“It’s fine,” you called, smiling over at Cosmo. “Dad is just jealous he doesn’t get to see me naked first,” you baby talked Cosmo, scratching his head. You put your hands on your hips, staring down at the outfits in front of you. You sighed and threw together a comfy outfit. </p>
<p>___________</p>
<p>“Steve, is the blindfold necessary? I could’ve just closed my eyes.”</p>
<p>“Where’s the fun in that?” He chuckled, taking your hand. It sent a fuzzy feeling to your head, and you couldn’t help the smile showing up on your face. You heard a door unlock and a creak when he pulled it open. “Watch your step; there is a slight incline.”</p>
<p>You took a careful step, and the smell of this place hit your nose. “It smells like a gym and dirty socks.”</p>
<p>He takes off your blindfold, and you’re met with a big neon sign shining The Trampoline Sanctum on the far wall. “A trampoline park? How’d you manage this?”</p>
<p>“Thor knows the guy who owns it. I think his name is Wong.”</p>
<p>“And he trusted you?”</p>
<p>“Well, he trusted Thor, who then trusts me, so it cancels out.” </p>
<p>“Is that how that works?” You questioned, narrowing your eyes at him. He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a pair of colorful grippy socks. </p>
<p>“Of course.” He shrugged with pursed lips. “So put these on, and let’s jump.” You took the socks from him, and he took off in a sprint down the short ramp and to the trampolines. </p>
<p>“What a man child,” you chuckled, shaking your head at him.</p>
<p>You sit down on one of the benches and slip on the socks, glancing at Steve to see him bouncing around. He does a few somersaults and backflips in the air, and then he runs down the long trampoline and flips into the foam pit. </p>
<p>You walked over to him, crawling out of the pit. “I would break something if I did that.”</p>
<p>“Try it; here I will show you.” He takes your hand and leads you to one of the wider trampolines. You stand off to the side when he starts bouncing. “You see, all you have to do is get enough air--” he breathed “-- and then flip,” he grunted, throwing himself back as he landed perfectly with a shallow bounce on the trampoline. “Easy.”</p>
<p>“Easy for you to say, Firefighter.”</p>
<p>“I’ll help you, come on,” he smirked, motioning for you to take the spot in front of him.</p>
<p>You hesitated, taking a step onto the trampoline across from Steve. He placed his hand lightly on your lower back, and you grabbed his hand and put it against your back. “I’m not fragile, Steve. I trust you.” He smirked, biting his bottom lip. “What do I have to do?”</p>
<p>Steve was a great teacher, explaining how to control your body and where to focus your weight. He helped you a couple of times, and by the seventh try, you could do it on your own. </p>
<p>“Heck yes. I think it’s time to try out for the Olympics.” You held your hands up like a gymnast and walked over to Steve with a smile. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>“You did great!” He held up his hand, and you high-fived him. </p>
<p>“Now what movement is next: bars, vault, floor. I'm ready for anything.”</p>
<p>He laughed and shook his head. “Let's try a back handspring and then land in the foam.”</p>
<p>“Can I get a visual?”</p>
<p>“Sure.” Steve took off in a jog on the long trampoline, flipping and then landing in the foam.</p>
<p>“I retire,” you said and walked away from him, making him chuckle. You smirked, turning back around and helping him out of the pit, but instead of pulling him out, he pulled you in. “AHH…Steve,” you laughed, “that's gonna bruise.” You both crawled over to the edge, and he pulled you out!</p>
<p>“Race you through the obstacle course.”</p>
<p>“You’re on.”</p>
<p>__________</p>
<p>Steve laid down right next to you on one of the trampolines where you were trying to catch your breath while Steve was already breathing normally. “How are you--” you heaved, clutching your stomach“--not breathing hard?”</p>
<p>“Genetics,” he joked, turning to face you as he rested his elbow against the mat with his head in his hand.</p>
<p>“What...did they make you in a bottle?” You scoffed, rolling your eyes. </p>
<p>“Nope, I am pretty sure my parents did it the old fashion way. You know, they…”</p>
<p>“Okay, okay, I don’t need to hear about it,” you interrupted him, pushing him on the shoulder. He chuckled, clutching his chest and falling onto his back before returning to his position. You turned your head to the side, seeing him gazing at you with his ever-famous smirk. “You scare me, Steve Rogers.”</p>
<p>His smirk quickly disappeared, glancing down at the trampoline then back at you. “Really? Why?”</p>
<p>“Because I tell you things I can’t even tell myself.” You looked up at the ceiling. “I get this fuzzy feeling in my stomach, and my heart speeds up whenever I’m around you. I don’t know whether I am nervous or excited or maybe both. You’re such a fun person to be around, and I don’t think I have smiled this much in such a long time. It’s almost like I don’t deserve you, but then maybe you are just what I need.” You bite your lip, peeking over at him. </p>
<p>A small smile breaks across his face, and he glances down at your lips. He sits up on his elbow, staring down at you. A spark ignites up your spine, sending a warm chill to your skin. He cups your chin, his blue eyes flutter to yours, causing your heart to beat faster. </p>
<p>“You’re all I need,” he breathed, licking his lips.  </p>
<p>His hand sends goosebumps to the back of your neck, feeling your face heat up. Your breathing grew heavier as your eyes drifted to his pink lips. Steve brushed his thumb against your cheek, compelling you to reconnect with his blue eyes. He leaned down, and your eyes fluttered close.</p>
<p>“Hey, are you Thor’s friend?” A man yelled out.</p>
<p>Steve’s head dropped onto your shoulder, letting out an annoyed sigh. You opened your eyes and couldn’t help but giggle at him. </p>
<p>“YES!” He lifted his head enough to respond. He stood up, offering his hand to you, and you took it. He pulled you up fast, making you collide into his chest. He smiled down at you, taking your hand and walking over to the man. “You Wong?”</p>
<p>“I am.” Steve held out his hand, and Wong shook it.</p>
<p>“I’m Steve, and this is YN, Thor’s sister.”</p>
<p>“That’s right; I forgot he has a sister.” He offered his hand to you, and you shook it. “How are you two enjoying The Trampoline Sanctum?” Wong put a hand on his hip, motioning around with his other hand.</p>
<p>“It’s fun; the obstacle course is great,” Steve smiled at him.</p>
<p>He nodded. “Thank you. My partner wanted more wow factor, but we were able to compromise on a few things.”</p>
<p>“I think it’s great! You got a variety of different activities to do here, and……”</p>
<p>You zoned out, watching Steve out of the corner of your eye as he continued to talk about trampolines with Wong. You couldn’t help but feel in awe of Steve. He could strike up a conversation with anyone if he wanted to and made sure they felt appreciated. It might be a topic he doesn’t know anything about, but he was willing to listen to what they have to say and give his input. You squeezed his hand in yours, not missing the side of his mouth perk up while he talked with Wong. </p>
<p>“Oh, I’m sorry. I should let you two get back to it. It was nice to meet you two, but carry on, don’t let me interrupt.” He winked, walking away, and Steve shot you a closed-mouth smile.</p>
<p>You leaned into him, nudging your elbow into his side. “Are you sure you don’t want to continue this date with Wong instead of me? I mean, you two really hit it off.” You pointed to Steve and where Wong disappeared to.</p>
<p>“Why, you jealous?” He arched an eyebrow at you, sporting a teasing smile.</p>
<p>“I plead the Fifth.” </p>
<p>He chuckled, shaking his head. “Should we get out of here?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” you nodded. “I don’t feel like competing with Wong tonight.”</p>
<p>___________</p>
<p>You stepped up to the front door, pulling out your keys with Steve following behind with his hands in his pockets. Cosmo was on the other side of the door whining, and you could hear his dancing paws against the hardwood floor. You slid the key in, unlocking the door, and pushed it open. Cosmo greeted both of you and started spinning in frantic circles. </p>
<p>“Hey, Cosmo. Did you miss us?” You leaned down to scratch his head as he rolled onto his back, and you rubbed his belly. Steve chuckled, closing the door behind him. “Who’s a good boy and kept the house clean? Cosmo is a good boy,” you praised in a baby voice.</p>
<p>“Hey Cosmo, are you ready to go back home? It’s way past your bedtime?” Steve asked, earning a bark from him. </p>
<p>“I think that’s a no,” you added with a carefree smirk, standing up straight as Cosmo went to hide behind your legs and out of Steve’s view.</p>
<p>“I can still see you. You’re not hiding from me.”</p>
<p>You glanced behind you, seeing Cosmo staring up at you as if asking if you had his back. You bit your lip, shooting him a quick nod. “How about this…why don’t we take you on a quick walk before you leave? That is if your dad is okay with it?” You peeked over your shoulder, noticing Steve watching your interaction with a playful smile tugging at his lips.</p>
<p>“A late-night walk,” Steve paused, rubbing his lips together. “Would you like that, Cosmo?” Steve raised his eyebrows at the dog, and Cosmo took off to the other room but quickly returned with his leash in his mouth.</p>
<p>“Do you think he hid it on purpose?” You asked as Steve took the leash from him, shaking his head and latching it onto his collar. </p>
<p>“At this point, I wouldn’t put it past him, but I think it’s a yes to a walk,” Steve chuckled with his hands on his hips.</p>
<p>It was the perfect night for a walk, not too cold and not too warm. You and Steve walked side by side with Cosmo trotting along in front of you. Steve’s hand brushed against yours, sending a spark up your arm and goosebumps to your skin. </p>
<p>“Ahhh…late night walks. This brings back memories.” Steve nudged your side, making you peek up at him out of the corner of your eye. </p>
<p>“And if those memories serve me right--” you glanced at him, seeing his signature smirk on his face  “--you still owe me an answer to a question.” </p>
<p>“How do you remember that?” </p>
<p>“Hard to forget a round of twenty questions with a cute guy, who walks you home late and lets me keep his jacket.”</p>
<p>If it wasn’t for the street light you passed, you would've missed the pink color appearing on Steve’s cheeks. He rubbed his lips together, nodding. “Okay, then, fire away. What’s your question?”</p>
<p>“Maybe another time.” Steve’s head snapped in your direction, narrowing his eyes at you, and you couldn’t help but laugh at his expression.</p>
<p>“I like hearing that sound,” Steve winked, shooting you a crinkled eye smile. </p>
<p>“Oh my god, you’re such a flirt.” Your face heated up, playfully pushing him away from you, getting a laugh out of him. He leaned right back into you, taking your hand and lacing his fingers between yours.  He squeezed your hand, sending a warmth of comfort through you, making you crack a heartfelt smile. </p>
<p>“Thor told me you’re making your mom’s cookies when the kids come for fire safety next week.”</p>
<p>“I am.” You nodded. “He talked me into it, but I am almost positive he is going to take them and hide them from everyone.” </p>
<p>“I don’t think he could get away with that,” he scoffed. “We would all know it. Sam would be the first one to figure it out.”</p>
<p>“He loves those cookies!” You stopped at the crosswalk, waiting for the walking figure to light up. “Are you ready to be bombarded with little kid questions?”</p>
<p>“Heck yes,” he grinned, nodding his head. “I love answering their questions because they have no filter. Like, there was this one kid when I was with my Brooklyn unit. He came off kind of quiet and hung around in the back of the group. I was walking next to him, and he pulled on my pants to get my attention, so I leaned down. He held his hand over my ear so the other kids wouldn’t hear and asked: 'Does being a firefighter get girls to like you?'"</p>
<p>“Awww…What was your response?” </p>
<p>“I told him it helps, but it is better to be a good man and treat girls with respect.”</p>
<p>“So proper of you.”</p>
<p>“Hey, I was being honest with him. It’s how I got you, isn’t it,” he winked, forcing you to roll your eyes. The walking guy lit up on the stoplight, and the three of you crossed the street. </p>
<p>“As awesome as some kids are, beware of the teachers,” you added, squeezing his hand. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I’ve heard some stories. According to some of the guys, this is Thor’s favorite time of the year.”</p>
<p>You scoffed, shaking your head. “That doesn’t surprise me at all. Remind me I should set him up with one of my coworkers. He needs a nice girl; not a one-nighter girl.”</p>
<p>“I’ll remind you, but I hope you don’t get jealous if they flirt with me.”</p>
<p>“Jealous, oh please--” you waved it off “--I think you are kind of stuck with me,” you winked at him, squeezing his hand. </p>
<p>“Yeah, I think I am.”</p>
<p>You two strolled through the streets talking, laughing, and joking with one another. Steve looked down at his watch, realizing it was well past midnight, and you two were walking around for at least two hours. It’s a good thing Cosmo was being such a trooper. Walking up to your front door, you unlocked it, and Cosmo was right next to you, waiting to go inside.</p>
<p>“No, Cosmo. We are going; we are bidding YN a goodnight, then we’re leaving.” Cosmo let out a huff and sat down between you and Steve.</p>
<p>You cracked a smile at them. “He is gonna sleep good tonight.”</p>
<p>“Well, he is the one that wanted to go on a walk,” Steve smiled down at his dog, who was avoiding all eye contact with him. </p>
<p>You licked your lips, rubbing them together. “I had fun tonight, Steve.”</p>
<p>“Good. I wanted to do something a little out of the box, so I’m glad you had fun.” You chuckled softly, fidgeting with your hands, peeking back up at Steve. He clenched his jaw, almost like he was having a battle inside his head. “Have a good night, YN.” He takes a step towards you and wraps you into a hug. You close your eyes, letting out a sigh, and wrap your arms around him to hug him back. He squeezed you close, and you swallowed back your disappointment as you both pulled away from each other. </p>
<p>“Goodnight, Steve.” You shot him a tight smile, looking down at Cosmo. </p>
<p>“Alrighty, Cosmo. Let’s go.” Steve took a step down the short stairs but stopped when he realized Cosmo was refusing to go. He glanced at you with his tongue hanging out and then looked over at Steve, letting out a frustrated huff. “Don’t give me that look.” Steve grimaced, shaking his head. “What is it boy?” The dog barked and whined in response. “You know I can’t understand you when you’re shouting.” </p>
<p>The dog glanced between you and Steve once more and then laid down. “Cosmo, we don’t have time for this. YN wants to get to sleep, and it’s way past your bedtime. You’re just overtired…I think.” Cosmo huffed, forcing Steve to scoff, placing his hands on his hips. </p>
<p>You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing at the cute exchange.  It was like a dad trying to figure out what his son wants to do. “I think I might have an idea that could help.”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Steve caught your eye as you walked over to him. Feeling your heart beating loudly in your ears, you caressed his face and kissed him. His lips were warmed and hesitant at first, but soon he found his confidence. Steve wrapped his arms around you and leaned in, pulling you closer. Your hands travel to his hair, running your fingers through it. Your lips danced around each other as if it was a choreographed routine. It was perfect; it felt right. </p>
<p>You pulled apart, resting your foreheads against each other. His eyes flickered to yours, trying to catch his breath. Your gaze met his pink lips again when Cosmo barked. You and Steve both smiled, eyeing Cosmo. “He was tired of waiting, too.”</p>
<p>“Thank you,” Steve replied, forcing you to quirk a brow at him.</p>
<p>“For what?” </p>
<p>“Making the first move. I was going to kick myself if I left and didn’t kiss you tonight.”</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you? I mean, you’re not the goody-two-shoes everyone thinks you are.”</p>
<p>He let out a soft chuckle, his warm breath hitting your lips. “I didn’t want to scare you away or come on too strong. I guess I was waiting for the perfect moment.” Steve shrugged. “It almost happened earlier, but Wong.”</p>
<p>You beamed at him, running your thumb across his cheek, watching his eyes fill with desire. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the perfect moment; it just has to be with the right person.”</p>
<p>“I think we should try it again, you know, just to make sure.” Steve gazed into your eyes, pulling you close and capturing his lips with yours.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading Part 14. About time they kissed, am I right? It's been a long time coming. The whole kiss scene at the end was kind of inspired by the Schitts Creek episode. The one where Patrick didn't kiss David, but it was the other way around. I don't know why, but I find that moment super adorable, and their chemistry is just so fun to watch! And she is finally giving therapy a chance, and from the looks of this chapter, it seems to be helping. Also, Steve's friend from the grill out made another appearance, and we learned a little more about him. Could this be the start of a great friendship, or are they just gonna be billiard/bar buddies? And what did you think of their date night at the trampoline park and Wong's cameo? I thought it would be better than the usual dinner/movie date. I will share that when one of my friends read this part and Wong interrupted their kiss, my friend commented, 'READ THE ROOM, WONG!' Now I can't help but laugh every time I read that part. 😂😂 Anyways, comments always welcome, hope yall are enjoying it so far! Thanks again!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Okay, girl. Let’s move onto your two-three combo, and then you are going to come at me with a right hook as if it was your ex’s face,” Val instructed, holding up her mitts.</p><p>You dropped your hands, looking at her. “I’m not doing this because I want to kick his abusive ass. I am doing this for me. To build up my confidence and get stronger.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah. You just want to look good naked for Rogers.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and you started punching the mitts. “Thata girl, I knew I could hit a nerve,” she chuckled to herself. </p><p>You completed a few more rounds, then Val decided it was time for a cool down. You nodded, breathing heavy, and stepped out of the ring. You wiped the sweat from your brow with your forearm while Val came over to help get you out of the gloves. </p><p>“You’re killing it, YN. Like, if someone ever decided to jump you, well, I think they would lose a hand.”</p><p>You chuckled at Val’s compliment. “Thanks, I do feel more confident in my movements, and my punches feel like they have more power behind them.”</p><p>“They do,” she agreed, “but it’s not hard enough to make me need to ice my hands or anything, like some of the coaches have to do when M’Baku is practicing.” She raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. “Men always have to be the strongest, but they’re not always the smartest.” She let out an annoyed sigh, rolling her eyes. “How are things with Rogers?”</p><p>You smiled as she started to untie your other glove. “He’s good. I think we’re good. Why, what’s the gossip at the station?”</p><p>“There’s not much. He tends to keep to himself about you, but there are times when he does get all flustered, blushy, and red when we pick on him about you. It’s cute,” Val smirked, eyeing you over, feeling yourself have the same reaction as him. “Have you two kindled the flame yet?” She wiggled her eyebrows, making your face heat up even more. </p><p>“Wouldn’t you like to know,” you chuckled, shaking your head. </p><p>“Don’t tell me then,” she winked. “When Carol and I talk about you two, we think you two look good together, and from what you both have been through, you both deserve a win, and I’m happy you two found each other.”</p><p>You smiled, undoing the hand wraps. “Thanks, Val. Speaking of Carol--” you peeked up at her, watching her closely “--how are things? Have you told the crew yet?”</p><p>“Not yet, but I am sure most of them already suspect something is going on?” Val shrugged, taking a sip out of her water bottle. </p><p>“I wouldn’t be so sure. I mean, they’re men,” you chuckled, rotating your wrists back and forth.</p><p>“Good point,” she laughed, tilting her water bottle at you. “They can be a little slower at picking up hints.”</p><p>____________</p><p>You sat on the couch folding laundry, following a developing armed robbery happening downtown at the Ideal Federal Saving Bank. </p><p>“Christine, how are things looking there? Have any of the robbers been identified?” Megan Henderson asked from the KTLA studio to Christine Everheart at the scene. </p><p>“Yes, Megan. We know two of the assailants at this time, Jack Rollins and Jasper Sitwell. They are two notorious criminals who have been involved in numerous robberies throughout the state of California, Nevada, and Arizona. We are still unsure about the three other associates assisting with this robbery at this time…”</p><p>The monitor by the front door started buzzing, pulling you away from the screen to see who was there. You smiled at the screen, seeing Thor waving at the camera with his hands full of groceries, and you buzzed him in. </p><p>You walked over to grab the remote, seeing the film crew circling the bank in a helicopter, and switched off the tv. You would need Thor's full attention when he helps you make your mom's chocolate chip cookies for fire safety at the station tomorrow. </p><p>“Sister, I come bearing gifts,” Thor shouted, somehow being able to open the front door with his hands full. “And did you see that robbery hostage situation--” he pointed in the direction to downtown LA “--Nat and Clint have their hands full with this one.”</p><p>“Yeah, they do,” you agreed, leading Thor to the kitchen to drop off the bags on the counter. You furrowed your brows at the multiple bags of groceries. “What did you all get? All I needed was flour, chocolate chips, and eggs.”</p><p>“They were having a sale, and I couldn’t resist.” He lifted up a six-pack of beer, smiling like a child on their birthday.</p><p>“Well, that’s not going to take you long to finish,” you smirked at him, pulling groceries from the bags.</p><p>“No, I got this for us to drink while we bake mom’s cookies,” Thor added with a sincere smile, scratching his beard. “You know brother-sister bonding. I also grabbed snacks, so we are less tempted to eat all the cookies.” </p><p>You grinned, staring at him in awe. “Sounds like fun, let’s get these cookies started.”</p><p>“And I’ll open a beer for you and supervise,” Thor added, going into the drawer to get the bottle opener, and you narrowed your eyes at him.</p><p>___________</p><p>“Are you sure you’re doing it right?” Thor watched over your shoulders while you started creaming the butter and sugar together. “I don’t remember mom using one of these fancy mixers. She did it with one of those hand mixer thingies.”</p><p>“It just makes it go quicker,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “And you can do a bigger batch.”</p><p>“They’re not going to taste the same.”</p><p>“This is how I’ve always made them. You have literally watched me make these cookies with this machine before.”</p><p>“Oh well, I noticed they tasted different.”</p><p>“You’re insufferable, Thor,” you stated, turning around and pushing him to the other side of the counter. He laughed, taking a seat on the stool across from you.  “Do you want to find my cookie scoop? You’re scooping once I have everything mixed.”</p><p>“Finnneee,” he dragged out, complaining. He went over to the drawer and pulled out the scoop, and returned to the stool. “How have things been going with Steve?”</p><p>“It’s been fun,” you smiled, adding the eggs to the mixer bowl and turning it on.</p><p>“I’m glad. I’m the one who told Steve he could date you.”</p><p>“Wait,” you narrowed your eyes at him, “did he ask for permission?”</p><p>“No, I just told him that if I had to choose someone from the station to date you, I’d pick him.”</p><p>“Oooooh, so you picked him for me?” You scoffed, eyeing him while you added the dries in a little at a time.</p><p>“No, no, nothing like that. You can make your own decisions, but you’re a good person, and I wanted you to be with a good man. Besides, Steve is an old fashion guy, and with Dad not around anymore to ask, I figured I was the next best choice since I am the eldest.”</p><p>“And Loki was okay with your decision.” You scraped the bowl, adding in the chocolate chips and turning the mixer back on. </p><p>“Well...I didn't ask him per se, but I think he would agree with me on this,” Thor stated, taking a sip of his beer.</p><p>“But, when have either of you agreed on anything...ever?” You turned off the machine, taking the bowl off, and started scraping the dough off the paddle. “Besides, you know I can make my own decisions right. I’m an adult.”</p><p>“Yes, of course,” he chuckled, playing around with the cookie scoop until it flew out of his hand and skimmed across the kitchen island. “Of course.” He nodded. </p><p>“Says the man child, playing with a cookie scoop,” you snorted, shaking your head.</p><p>The last batch of cookies was in the oven, and the rest were cooling on sheets of newspaper. It wasn’t uncommon for you to get a few stares when you made cookies with an audience, but every time you made them with your mom, she’d use a spatula to get them off the pan and then place them on newspaper. You didn’t want to break that little tradition you got from her. </p><p>Thor plopped down on a stool at your small island. “Why did I have to scoop them all?” Thor asked, taking a sip of his beer. </p><p>“They’re for your job, I’m not going to do all the work,” you sassed, shaking your head, forcing him to crack a side smile. “Now you wash, and I’ll dry.”</p><p>“Do I have to? I just sat down,” he asked with a slight frown.</p><p>“Yes,” you stated as he groaned, standing up and making his way to the sink. </p><p>He let out a loud sigh, turning on the faucet, and narrowing his eyes in your direction. You stuck out your tongue at him while you continued to put ingredients away. He sighed loudly again, and you gave him the side-eye as he leaned against the counter, watching the suds magically appear in the water. “I’m happy for you.”</p><p>“Okay?” You replied more in a question than a statement. You narrowed your eyes at him, not knowing where that came from. </p><p>“It’s nice to see you smiling and having fun again. You know, putting yourself out there. It’s nice having the sister I grew up with back. I’ve missed her.” He stood up straight, cracking a child-like smile at you. </p><p>“Me too,” you smirked, leaning against the counter. </p><p>He turned back to the sink, placing a few dishes in, and started washing them before placing them on the drying rack. It was weird to watch him do civilized things because he never did them when he was younger. When he left New York, the annoying older brother you grew up with started taking responsibility for his actions. While most actions not involving his nightly escapades. You take a sip of your beer, grabbing a clean cloth to dry, and start putting the dishes away. </p><p>“I filed for divorce yesterday,” you mentioned, hearing Thor drop what he was washing into the sink.</p><p>He placed his hands on the edge of the sink, clenching his jaw at the sudsy sink. </p><p>“He’s going to know where you are. Are you okay with taking that risk?” He inquired, scratching at the short beard on his face, turning to you.</p><p>“I know it’s a risk, but the only way I am ever gonna feel free of him…is to be free of him.”</p><p>He nodded, clearing his throat. “Are you going to feel safe here? Cause I can take the couch and stay for a few days. I can take work off and…”</p><p>“Thor, Thor,” you interrupted, placing your hand on his upper arm. “I’ll be okay.”</p><p>“I know, I just… I want… I want to make sure you’re safe.” </p><p>“I know, and I will be,” you smiled at him, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze.</p><p>“Is Steve gonna come and stay with you?” </p><p>“I don’t know, maybe.” You shrugged, keeping a close eye on your brother; his bottom lip trembled as his eyes darted in all directions. “Is everything alright?”</p><p>He nodded his head aggressively. “Yeah, I’m fine. Totally fine,” he stated in a high-pitched voice, laughing it off.  “But um…I think it would be better if someone stayed here with you, so I know… so we--we all know you’re safe,” he stumbled over his words, wringing his hands together. “Have you at least talked to Loki? What does he think? Does he want me to stay with you?” He asked, rambling on in one breath. </p><p>“I was going to call him tonight and let him know,” you informed softly, trying to calm him down. “Thor--” his worried-filled eyes connected with yours “--I’ll be okay. Okay?” You gave him a reassuring nod. “I know after what happened before...that you blame yourself or you feel like you failed, but you didn’t. I don’t blame you for what happened because it wasn’t any of your doing. I put myself in that situation, and I continued to go back.”</p><p>“But, I could have gotten you out of that situation. I am the eldest, and I should’ve done a better job at protecting you, or at the very least, listening to you. I shouldn’t have taken Billy’s side, and for that, I blame myself,” he sniffled, clearing his throat. </p><p>“Thor--” you rubbed his arm, making him look at you “--Billy is and will always be a master manipulator. We all fell for it…”</p><p>“Loki didn’t. He saw right through the man,” Thor tried to reason, raising his eyebrows. </p><p>“But he didn’t stop me from going back to Billy. I mean, he tried, but Billy already had me wrapped around his finger.” You paused, biting your lip. “There is no sense in playing the blame game when the only person we should be blaming is Billy.” Thor opened his mouth to say something, but you continued. “You’ve helped me more these last few months than you will ever realize. Don’t think about the past and how you could’ve helped me, but think about right now, and how you did help me. I still don’t know how to thank you for it.”</p><p>“You can thank me by letting someone stay with you for a couple of weeks.”</p><p>“Wow...we’re still on that,” you scoffed, forcing a trembling chuckle out of him. “I know open communication was never our family's forte, but I love you, brother.”</p><p>“Love you, too, sis,” he smiled, leaning towards you and pulling you into a hug. </p><p>___________</p><p>You walked into the station through the open garage doors, noticing the spotless, shiny red trucks glistening in the sun, bringing a sense of ease over you and a smile to your face. This place felt like a second home that came with a family that you didn’t know you needed. You spotted Steve helping a few guys set up chairs in front of a portable tv while others set up tables for interactive activities for the kids to participate in. There were even goody bags with plastic red firemen hats and the treat table that continued to grow. </p><p>“YN, I see you got talked into making something, too?” You looked over to see Nat, holding a pan of brownies, and you lifted your two containers of cookies. “I swear these boys wouldn't survive without us. I mean, Val and Carol would be safe, but the boys.” She shot you a tight smile, shaking her head. </p><p>“Agreed,” you chuckled.</p><p>“And there is my nerd now, I’ll be back,” she winked, walking over to Bucky. She handed him the brownies, and he leaned down and kissed her ever so gently. </p><p>“It’s disgusting, isn't it?” You looked to your right to see Sam with his arms crossed, rolling his eyes. </p><p>“I think it’s kind of sweet,” You chuckled, rubbing your lips together and glancing at them one more time. Steve caught your eye, and a sweet smile broke across his face. “You’ll find someone, Sam. You’re such a catch.”</p><p>“Uh-huh,” he grunted.</p><p>“Would some cookies help?” You offered, handing him the containers. </p><p>“Yes.” Sam grinned his gap-tooth smile, taking the container. “Thank you, YN. This is why you’re my favorite.” He took a bite out of one of the cookies, walking away, holding it up in the air. “The best batch yet.” </p><p>Steve shook his head at a grinning Sam, walking over to you, and pulled you into a hug. You giggled into his chest, wrapping your arms around your waist, and he started swaying back and forth. You rested your chin on his chest, staring up at him. He leaned down, giving you a quick peck on the lips. </p><p>“How did Bucky and Steve get girls like that?” Sam asked Val at the treat table.</p><p>“I guess some people just get lucky.” Val shrugged, and Sam angrily took a bite out of another cookie.  </p><p>“Want some ice cream?”</p><p>“Yes, I want all the ice cream,” Sam added, following Val to the break room. </p><p>“Question--” Steve stopped swaying and pulled away from you “--do you have any plans for tonight?” </p><p>“No, why do you have something planned,” he teased, shooting you his signature smirk.</p><p>“Maybe.”</p><p>“What are we doing?”</p><p>“I’m afraid that is classified, but I have something for you.” You reached into your purse, pulling out a manila folder, handing it to him. </p><p>Steve narrowed his eyes in curiosity. He opened the folder, his eyes scanning it over. “Divorce papers. This is a big step, YN,” He smiled at you, but it quickly dropped to concern. “Billy is going to know where you are.”</p><p>“I know, but I feel like it is time to put the past behind me and move on with my life.”</p><p>“Okay, as long as you’re ready, then I’m here for you with whatever you need.” </p><p>“I know,” you smiled shyly.</p><p>“Isn’t it amazing?” Thor clasped a hand on Steve’s shoulder. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m proud of her,” Steve winked, making your smile spread wider.</p><p>“As am I,” Thor smiled, squeezing Steve’s shoulder. </p><p>You shake your head at them. “I better get to my shift, but Sam has the cookies, and I want my containers back ASAP, or I am going to hurt you, Thor.” You stated, walking backwards.</p><p>“I’ll make sure they are in your possession tonight.” Thor saluted, making you shake your head.</p><p>“Have a good shift, YN. I’ll see you tonight.”</p><p>“Just know this, Steve, if you hurt my little sister, we will have more than words,” Thor stated, squeezing Steve’s shoulder a little harder watching you walk out of the station with Nat by your side.</p><p>Steve nodded, turning to him. “I don’t intend to.”</p><p>“Good man.” Thor patted him on the shoulder, giving him a closed-mouth smile. “Before she met you, she was lost in her own little world. Fighting the beast, invading her dreams, and trying to tackle her own troubles. She thought she could only rely on herself to make the important choices but soon realized she had supporters, like you and me. So, thank you, Steve, for helping bring my sister back.” </p><p>Steve nodded to Thor as the tall man went back to help the group set up.</p><p>“Did he threaten you?” Bucky asked with a breathy laugh, coming over to him.</p><p>“Ahh…yeah…sort of….I think.” Steve's eyebrows knit together, trying to figure out what exactly just happened. “But, I’m gonna make a quick call.”</p><p>“Do your thing, pal?” Bucky patted him on the shoulder and went over to help the group finish up.</p><p>Steve took out his phone until he found the name he was looking for; He brought it to his ear as soon as it started to ring. </p><p>“Hey, Steve. How’s it going?”</p><p>“I’m good. Listen, I’m not going to be able to play pool tonight. I got a...I  got a date,” Steve smiled at his own words, scratching at his beard.</p><p>“Oh, is this the one you have been kind of seeing?”</p><p>“Yeah, YN.”</p><p>“Good for you, man.”</p><p>“Thanks, but I gotta get back to work. I’ll see you later.”</p><p>“I have a feeling we’ll see each other soon. Have a good night, Steve.”</p><p>“Bye, Jig,” Steve smiled, sliding the phone back into his pocket, and headed over to finish getting everything ready for fire safety.  </p><p>___________</p><p>The team stood by one of the open garage doors in anticipation for the first group of young students and their teachers to arrive. The workout room was transformed into a small teaching area, complete with fold-out chairs and a roll-away tv. Snacks and goody bags were also waiting for them with a welcoming banner hanging from the second-story loft. </p><p>Steve let out a deep breath with his hands on his hips, eyeing at what they were able to accomplish.  It looked very welcoming, but he didn’t know what was going to happen. He liked kids but wasn’t always great at talking to them, but Carol reassured them that the first group of students might not go as planned, but they had another six to make up for it. </p><p>“First group approaching,” Sam shouted, going over to the door to greet them. Sam shook the teacher's hand, flashing her his famous gap-tooth smile. </p><p>Bucky scoffed beside Steve, gripping his shoulder. “Don’t be nervous, pal. Just avoid swearing or talking about anything too scary. Kids think we are badasses, and they look up to us. We are heroes to them.”</p><p>Steve swallowed, nodding at him. He rubbed his hands together, taking in the twenty little kids, grabbing snacks, and taking their seats while Carol stood in front of them with a huge smile.</p><p>“How’s everyone doing today?” Carol asked, earning a group of students shouting while others remained silent. “I’m glad to hear it. My name is Captain Carol Danvers, but you can call me Ace, and I am in charge of Station 107. Those wearing the dark blue shirts around you are my teammates.” She pointed to Sam, who then introduced himself as they went around the room. “Now that you know my team, what are your names?”</p><p>The teachers introduced themselves before the kids went around the room saying their names. Steve stood off to the side, nodding his head, trying to remember every kid’s name. His eyes stopped on one familiar little girl, Morgan Stark. She caught his eye, and she waved with an exciting smile on her face. He nodded at her, mimicking her expression on his face. Steve noticed she also waved at Sam. Seeing her brought back the memory of his first encounter with YN and losing his dispatcher cherry while saving Morgan from the electrified pool in the process. </p><p>“Do any of you know the number to call in case someone needs help?” Danvers asked, bringing Steve's attention back to the present. Hands flew into the air, including Morgans. Danvers pointed to one of the students, and he replied with 911. </p><p>Steve zoned out as Danvers continued to talk with the young kids. His eyes traveled around the room, noticing how some of the teachers would catch his eye but then quickly look away. He smirked, realizing Thor and YN weren’t kidding when they said the teachers would flirt with them. Thor winked at one of them, and she blushed, unable to keep the smile off her face. Steve shook his head at them, returning his attention to Danvers.</p><p>“....when you dial 911, your call gets directed to a dispatcher, and they use a system called CAD, which is a computer-aided dispatch. They punch the address you give them in, and the dispatcher can figure out what unit is closest for them to send help. Now, how many of you know your address?” A few hands shot up, and Carol nodded. “It’s okay if you don’t just go home and talk to your parents about it. They love to watch you learn and would be more than willing to help.” She nodded, clasping her hands together. “We are going to watch a quick safety video and then break off into groups and do a few different activities and see some cool things. How’s that sound?” She got a few cheers from the students while the others kept quiet. Danvers smiled, switching the tv on and pushing play on the DVD player, before stepping off to the side. </p><p>The kids broke off into four smaller groups; Bucky and Steve took their group around, showing them different trucks, and explained their purpose. Steve couldn’t help but smile when the kids’ faces brightened up upon seeing the inside of the trucks. They did their best to explain what some of the equipment inside was, but most of the kids seemed too excited to listen. According to Bucky, kids like seeing the trucks and could care less about the other activities they had set up.</p><p>The first group's time was coming to an end, and the team could see the next class approaching in the distance. The team handed out gift bags, and all the kids were smiling and putting on their red plastic hats. The teachers told the students to say thank you, and they did so in unison before they retreated towards the door.</p><p>Steve stood by the entrance waving goodbye to the previous class, awaiting to greet the next class. He felt a tug on his pants, and he looked down to see Morgan smiling up at him.</p><p>“Hey, shouldn’t you be up there with your partner?” He leaned down to her eye level, resting a knee on the ground.</p><p>“She is waiting,” she pointed to her, and Steve smirked, seeing her waiting impatiently. “Besides, my teacher is still talking to the tall one.”</p><p>He glanced over to see the tall one was Thor, and he was doing the thing he always did. “Look at that, you’re right.” He nodded. “What can I do for you, Morgan?”</p><p>“I wanted to give you this--” she handed him a homemade card “--the tall one helped me make it at the coloring table.” She rocked back and forth on her feet and blushed.</p><p>“Aww, thank you.” He opened the card, reading: Thank you, Fireman Steve, for saving me, and it was an image of her in a pool with him on one side and Sam was on the other. “You’re welcome. I like it. You are quite the artist.”</p><p>She smiled. “I gave one to Fireman Sam, too.” She pointed at him with a smile.</p><p>“I’m sure he loved it, too.” Steve smiled at it. “I'm going to have to put this on my fridge at home.” He chuckled, and in an instance, the little girl wrapped her little arms around her neck and pulled him close. He patted her on the back and pulled away. “Stay out of trouble, and don’t get into any more electrified pools.” </p><p>She shot him a funny look. “You too,” she smiled, running over to her partner.</p><p>Her teacher passed by him, folding a piece of paper and sliding it into her pocket, which Steve could only assume to be Thor's number. He shook his head, looking back at Thor to see him staring at her retreating figure. </p><p>Thor caught Steve's eye, and he shrugged. “What? I like women, but you know, not in a creepy way.”</p><p>After the first class came through, the rest of the groups were easy; having got the lay-of-the-land and knowing what to say. Although towards the end of the day, the older kids, the 2nd graders, asked more daring questions, in which Steve tried to keep it G or PG.</p><p>“And with that, class is dismissed,” Danvers stated, plopping down in one of the fold-up chairs, sighing loudly. </p><p>“Hear, hear,” Sam nodded, plopping down next to her. “It’s the repetition that gets me. I could go home and fall asleep right now. Who knew kids could be so exhausting. I praise the teachers cause I know I couldn’t put up with their shit all the time.” Everyone murmured in agreement.</p><p>“How are you all tired?” Thor asked with his hands on his hips.</p><p>“We weren’t at the coloring station. We were explaining and answering questions trying to keep things kid-friendly.”</p><p>“Well, you should’ve been. In my opinion, it’s the best station.”</p><p>“No, the trucks are, the arts and crafts station is the boring table. The kids were talking about it,” Bucky added, folding up a few chairs. </p><p>“Doesn’t matter, I got a few numbers. And...” he walked over to the snack table, taking the last of YN cookies “--I got the last cookie,” he chuckled, taking a bite.</p><p>“Let’s quit complaining about what activity was better and remember it was about teaching the kids,” Danvers stated. “Now, let’s get this cleaned up, so the crew can do their job tonight.” Everyone mumbled, nodding in agreement. </p><p>Thor snapped the container to your Tupperware shut, shoving the last bite of cookie in his mouth. “I could drop off the Tupperware tonight if you’d like. I’m meeting up with her after her shift,” Steve offered, packing up the leftover snacks. </p><p>“Yes, I suppose you could, but if they go missing and she doesn’t get them. This all comes back to me, and I don’t need that on my conscience right now.” </p><p>“Probably a good idea you do it then,” Steve chuckled. </p><p>____________</p><p>Standing in front of the mirror, you try to get your hair to do a thing, but it isn’t doing the thing, so you decide to leave it as is. A buzzing sound at the front door brings an excited smile to your face. You trotted down the stairs, seeing Steve and Cosmo at the gate. You buzzed them in and went into the kitchen to grab two wine glasses and a bottle from your stash. You set them on the kitchen island, hearing Cosmo barking on the other side of the door. You smirked to yourself, walking over to the front door, remembering Steve mentioning how much Cosmo missed you. It was utter nonsense, but you couldn’t help but smile. You opened the front door, and your smile quickly disappeared.</p><p>“Billy.”</p><p>“Hi, honey. Did you miss me?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AN: Thanks for reading part 15! Those pesky cliffhangers! Where did Billy come from? Has he been watching her this whole time? Hmmmm....any theories?! And of course, all of this had to happen when things between her and Steve were finally going forward. It's almost like I planned it! Muwahaha! And speaking of Steve...what could’ve happened to him and Cosmo? Besides the ending, did you like Thor and her little chitchat, the brother-sister bonding sesh. We did learn that Thor clearly still blames himself for what happened way back then, but maybe now after their little chat, he will finally start forgiving himself, but who knows with the current revelation happening! 😬 And Val and Carol, did anyone guess that happening?! Also, did you enjoy fire safety day?! I thought it would be a good throwback to the first chapter and bring Morgan back, and I thought it would just be cute seeing the team trying to keep things G/PG when talking about their job. Haha! Better prepare yourself for the next couple chapters, cause things are going get deep! As always thanks for reading, comments always welcome! </p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thor whistled, clutching onto your Tupperware as he punched in the gate code to your condo, hearing a dog barking in the distance. “Dogs, such noisy creatures. This is why Darryl and I agreed to no dogs, but I will admit they can be adorable at times,” he mumbled to himself, pausing on the last digit, noticing the gate partially opened. “Huh? That can’t be right.” </p>
<p>He pushed open the gate and stepped in, turning to close it until he heard it lock in place. He reassured himself with a nod and continued up the path to your house, hearing the barking get louder. Thor rubbed his lips together as his eyes traveled to the small porch, spotting a dark figure lying on the ground.</p>
<p>“What in the name is…” Thor's eyes widened, getting closer and recognizing the figure to be Steve. Thor dropped your Tupperware to the ground, sprinting to him, and kneeled down next to him. “STEVE, STEVE. HEY, HEY, WAKE UP?” </p>
<p>The motion sensor lights flickered on, and Thor’s mouth dropped open, taking in Steve’s appearance. Steve was lying on his side in a small pool of blood. A gash on the side of his head glistened in the light with blood coating one side of his neck. Thor gulped, zipping off his sweatshirt, and pulling his phone from his pants pocket, dialing 911. </p>
<p>“STEVE, STEVE...YOU THERE BUDDY? STAY WITH ME…” Thor shouted, placing his phone on speaker and setting it on the ground. He rotated Steve onto his back, placing two fingers on his neck to check for a pulse while applying slight pressure to his head wound using his sweatshirt.  </p>
<p>“911, what’s your emergency?” A male voice asked on the other side of the line.</p>
<p>“I need medical and police response to 761 High Ridge Drive Unit 1. We have an unconscious adult male suffering from some sort of head trauma.” Thor’s eyes traveled down Steve’s form, seeing a knife sticking out of his torso. “Scratch that, a head trauma and a stab wound to his torso.”</p>
<p>“May I ask who I am speaking with?”</p>
<p>“Thor Odinson. I’m a firefighter with the 107.”</p>
<p>“Wait, Thor…this is Bruce; is everything alright?”</p>
<p>“The victim is Steve Rogers. He is bleeding from both his head and his abdomen.”</p>
<p>“Units are on their way. Do you know what happened or how long he has been down?”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. I just came to drop my sister’s Tupperware off, and from the amount of blood, I would assume it hasn’t been long.”</p>
<p>“How’s his pulse?”</p>
<p>“It’s weak, and his breathing is shallow. Come on, Steve, wake up. Help is on the way.” Thor tapped him on the cheek, hearing a small groan leave his lips. “There you are. Good, good.” Thor let out a sharp, relieved breath, taking in his surroundings. His mouth went dry as he glanced over his shoulder at your front door, hearing a dog whining inside. “Steve, Steve, Where is YN? Is she still here?”</p>
<p>“YN,” he wheezed with his eyes closed. “Jig.”</p>
<p>Thor narrowed his eyes at him, not understanding what he was saying. “Jig? Steve, what are you saying? STEVE.” Thor tapped in on the cheek again but got nothing in response. He sighed, rechecking his pulse and nodding to himself when it was still there. “Hang on, Steve.”</p>
<p>“Responders are nearby,” Bruce stated through the phone. “Keep doing what you’re doing, Thor.”</p>
<p>Thor’s head snapped to the street upon hearing sirens, and the gate clicked open, having given Bruce the code earlier. Paramedics came rushing in, taking over his current position and examining him even farther. Thor stood off to the side, hearing nothing, but the sound of his own breathing, watching the medics work quickly. His mind was in a haze, and before he returned to his senses, Steve was on the stretcher going down the walkway. One of the paramedics was standing in front of him, staring at him with wide eyes. Her mouth was moving, but he couldn’t hear what she was saying.</p>
<p>“Are you going to be okay?” She asked again, placing her hand on his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Ahhh...yeah,” he nodded at her question. “Of course.”</p>
<p>“The police will be here shortly.” The paramedic patted him on the shoulder, handing him his phone before following her team.</p>
<p>“You still there, Thor?” Bruce asked as Thor watched the flashing lights disappear in the distance. </p>
<p>“Yeahhhh,” he dragged out, bringing the phone to his ear. “YN.” </p>
<p>He opened the door to your condo, and his stomach dropped at the carnage before him. The pillows and blankets that laid on the couch were scattered all around the living room. The small glass entry table Nat gave you was shattered to pieces along with what looked like a broken wine bottle. Photos hanging on the walls were no longer straight, and a few laid broken on the floor. </p>
<p>He gulped, staring at what stood before him. “No, no, no,” he chanted to himself, racing up the stairs. “YN, YN, where are you?” He shouted, looking around your room and bathroom upstairs. He ran back down the stairs, stopping at the bottom. “YN,” he bleated, pinching the bridge of his nose.</p>
<p>“Thor, did you find anything?” Bruce questioned from the phone in Thor’s hand.</p>
<p>“She’s uh….she’s not here. She’s gone,” he sniffled, squeezing his eyes shut. “All her stuff is here, but she’s gone.”</p>
<p>“All units responding to 761 High Ridge Drive, please be advised we also have a critical missing adult female: YN Odinson Russo.”</p>
<p>“He found her.” Thor’s voice dropped, making his body tensed up. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire, causing the hair on his arm to stand up straight. He let out a deep calming breath, but it did nothing to calm him down. </p>
<p>“Hey, man. We’ll find her.”</p>
<p>“Bye, Bruce,” Thor grunted, hanging up the phone. He let out a frustrated sigh, running his hand through his hair. This wasn’t supposed to happen. How did he let this happen? He was supposed to protect you, but he failed you again. He promised you, and now, he broke that promise. He gave you to Billy without even giving you a chance, and Steve almost died in the process.</p>
<p>A noise behind him made his body jerk around in one swift motion with his hands raised, ready to throw a punch but dropped them once he heard it coming from the closet. He took a cautious step towards it and pulled it open, jumping back with his fists raised. He dropped them, seeing Cosmo whining and staring up at him. “What happened here boy?” </p>
<p>Cosmo stepped out of the closet, and that’s when Thor’s eye caught the red marks around his mouth. “Did you bite him?” Cosmo whined, forcing a slight smile to Thor’s lips. “Did I call your kind noisy earlier; well, I meant amazing.” Thor leaned down, scratching him on the head, staring at the stained fur around his mouth. Thor’s mouth spread into a closed-mouth smile with a single tear escaping down his cheek. </p>
<p>___________</p>
<p>Thor watched the crime scene unit take pictures, seeing the flashes repeat themselves over and over again. He bit his lip, picturing Steve lying motionless on the ground as he tried to imagine a better outcome for you. Were you okay? Were you hurt? </p>
<p>“Hey, big guy. How are you holding up?” Nat asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged in response, not breaking eye contact with the front door. “Do you know what happened?”</p>
<p>He shook his head, catching her eye. “He did it, Nat. I know it was him; It was Billy.”</p>
<p>“Hey, we can’t assume it's him. For all, we know he is still in New York. We will figure this out as long as you let us do our jobs.”</p>
<p>“Are you kidding me?” He stood up straighter, pushing Nat’s hand away from him. “My sister, one of your best friends, goes missing, and you think some random asshole off the street came in, hit Steve over the head, and stabbed him, and then, what...for shits and giggles was like BLEUGH, let’s kidnap her. I mean, come on, who else would want to hurt her, Nat? Who?”</p>
<p>“You don’t think I know that. You don’t think I know what that asshole put her through. You don’t think I suspected it was him when the call came through because I did...and if you think you’re the only one hurting right now, you’re wrong,” She countered, poking him on the chest. Thor clenched his jaw, staring down at her to see tears threatening to fall in her eyes. “You need to trust us and let us do our job. The same way people put their trust in you to save their lives.” She pursed her lips, stepping away from him to go inside to look at the crime scene.”</p>
<p>“She’s right, man,” Clint added, standing off to the side. “Let us do our thing, and we’ll catch him.”</p>
<p>___________</p>
<p>Thor looked down at his watch, still standing in the same spot on the grass. He was supposed to be getting questioned but like everything else. They were taking their sweet time when they should be focusing on finding you.</p>
<p>“Hi, I’m Detective Nick Fury, and from what I understand, you're YN’s brother.” Thor tilted his head, sizing up the man with an eye patch, noticing Nat and Clint behind him. </p>
<p>“Yes, how can I help?”</p>
<p>“From what my associates have filled me in on, they say you believe it was her ex-husband--” he flipped through his note pad “--Billy Russo. Yet, he lives some 3,000 miles away in New York City, so at this point, he isn’t guilty of anything.” He arched an eyebrow at Thor. “Did he know she was here?”</p>
<p>“Well… no, I don’t think so…but he did tell her if she ever left him, he would kill her.”</p>
<p>“Did YN tell you this?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“Did Russo threaten and/or hurt YN before this?”</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>“She did file for divorce a day or so ago. It could have put her back on his radar.” Nat spoke up from behind him, and Fury nodded his head, writing a few notes in his notepad.</p>
<p>“We will look into him. Now, you mentioned to dispatch that before Rogers passed out, he mentioned someone by the name of Jig. Does that name sound familiar to you or you two behind me?” Nat and Clint both arched a bow, looking at each other, and mumbled no. </p>
<p>“No, I don’t know him,” Thor answered, furrowing his brows together before his eyes shot open wide. “WAIT, Fury. I remember Steve mentioning this new friend he was playing pool with; I never met him, but now, I know why because it was Billy. He got close to Steve so he could get close to YN.” Fury stared at him, trying to wrap his head around it. “What, you don’t believe me? I mean...look at Steve’s phone. It’s right by the door; check for yourself.”</p>
<p>Fury sighed, looking at him. “It’s a good theory, but unfortunately, the phone is locked. We can’t open it without the victim's consent.”</p>
<p>“He’s in the hospital right now after almost dying. I think that gives you consent to look at any of his things as long as it pertains to finding my sister,” Thor shouted, standing up taller and pointing at the front door. </p>
<p>“They will subpoena his phone records, but it’ll take time,” Nat added, crossing her arms. Thor shot her a hard glare, shaking his head with a vengeful smile.</p>
<p>“This is ridiculous. What if YN doesn’t have time? For all, we know she could be dead already because all of you are wasting time here instead of going out and looking for her. Come on, Billy did this.” Thor said, slapping his hand into his palm.  “It’s like every crime documentary I've watched; it’s always the husband, boyfriend, lover, or ex...” Thor rolled his eyes and started pacing back and forth. “He almost killed Steve, and he could--he could kill her next.” His voice drifted off, rubbing his forehead.</p>
<p>“But he didn’t…” Clint stated, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you’re right; Billy did this. He found out where she was and hurt Steve, but YN’s not here...and if all he wanted to do was kill her…”</p>
<p>“...then I would have found her, too,” he sniffled, clenching and unclenching his jaw. </p>
<p>“And you didn’t.” Clint squeezed his shoulder. “She was alive when he took her, and we have to hold onto that right now.” Thor gulped, staring blankly at the front porch. </p>
<p>“You’re right,” he breathed, staring down at Clint, nodding to Fury and Nat. “I should let you work. I’m gonna head to the hospital to see Steve...that is if we are done here?”</p>
<p>“We’re done for now,” Fury nodded, watching Thor go to his truck.</p>
<p>“You don’t think you’re gonna find her alive, do you?” Nat asked Fury, crossing her arms across her chest.</p>
<p>“In these situations, the most dangerous time for a woman is when she leaves her abuser. YN knew this, that’s why she was hiding, but if it is him…well, these scenarios usually don’t come with a happy ending.”</p>
<p>“Do we have any witnesses?” </p>
<p>“None.” He shook his head. “At this time, we are still trying to access her security footage, but we did manage to get access to a street camera across the street. The image is a little grainy, but it did catch what looked to be a man forcing her into his car. All we got is a dark-colored sedan, which doesn’t exactly narrow down our search.”</p>
<p>“Nope, it just sounds like a bad guy's car,” Clint added, nodding his head. </p>
<p>____________</p>
<p>Thor sat on one of the uncomfortable waiting room chairs, leaning his head against the wall. Steve was still in surgery, and by the looks of it, no one found you yet. Bucky and Val showed up a little while ago and were both in the corner talking with Carol, who got there first. Thor sat there quietly, staring at nothing with his blood ragging and fighting the urge to punch something. He leaned forward, hunching himself over rubbing his face with his hands. He sighed, removing his hands, spotting a pair of workbooks in front of him. His eyes traveled up to see Val standing in front of him. </p>
<p>“Mind if I sit?” Thor pointed to the spot next to him and nodded with pursed lips. “I drew the short straw,” Val confessed, forcing him to scoff. “How are you doing?”</p>
<p>“I’m good, great even. The rage, vengeance, and anger coursing through my veins is nothing compared to what Billy is going to be feeling when I find that bastard.” He forced a smile, letting out a soft determined chuckle. Val placed a hand around his wrist, and he stared at her hand, feeling his invisible vail start to slip from his face. </p>
<p>“Everyone is feeling that way right now, but how are you really?” </p>
<p>He cleared his throat, glancing between Val and the floor, letting out a shaky breath. “I uh...I told YN that she didn’t need to keep running, that she should stay here and start over where she would be safe. I would keep her safe,” he sniffled, rubbing at his nose. “She had this dramatic plan all laid out, I was only her first stop, but then I convinced her to stay.  I promised her I would protect her and keep her out of harm's way.” He stared off into the distance. “But, he still found her, and I broke our promise. If she left like she planned to and she kept running, he never would’ve found her.”</p>
<p>Val sighed beside him, squeezing his wrist before letting go. “It’s not your fault. Yeah, sure, you might have promised her things, but I know YN wouldn’t want you blaming yourself. Hell, she would smack you upside the head if she knew what you were thinking.” She knocked her shoulder with his, and he smirked, nodding his head. “There is no telling what would've happened if she kept running. He might have caught up with her, he might not have, but if he did, she would’ve been alone and scared.”</p>
<p>“She’s alone with him…now” </p>
<p>“But, I don’t think she is as scared as she would’ve been if it wasn’t for you being there and helping her through this.” Thor caught her eye as a stray tear fell down his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away, hoping it would go unnoticed.. “Dude, she was happy here, and I bet it was the happiest she's been in a long time.”</p>
<p>Thor was about to say something when his phone started ringing. He pulled it from his pocket, seeing Loki's name flashing on the screen. “It’s my brother; I better take this.” Thor stood up, answering it while he walked to a quiet hallway.</p>
<p>“What happened, brother?”</p>
<p>“Why would you assume something happened? I could’ve just called to see how you’ve been or asked about the movie you’re working on.”</p>
<p>“It’s a theatre production, not a film, but seriously brother, what’s the problem?” </p>
<p>Thor walked back and forth in the hallway, not knowing what to say or how to say it. He breathed into the phone, leaning against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. He pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. </p>
<p> “Say something?”</p>
<p>“What do you want me to say? That I messed up again. And our little sister is yet again in danger because of me. Or how one of my good friends is in the hospital, fighting for his life.”</p>
<p>“What? She’s gone? How did this happen?” Loki shouted into the phone, forcing Thor to remove it from his ear. “Thor. You had one job, just the one; keep our little sister safe. And you couldn’t even do it,” he snapped with an exasperated tone. </p>
<p>“I did keep her safe. Sorry, I wasn’t coddling her like you did in New York. I, at least let her have a life, make friends, and have fun without me being…”</p>
<p>“I beg your pardon, we had fun here, and she has tons of friends here,” Loki interrupted.</p>
<p>“Well, at least I encouraged her to stay and start over instead of galavanting around like a chicken.”</p>
<p>“Why a chicken?”</p>
<p>“It’s a saying, I don’t remember the other half of it, but it’s not important. YN managed to find a new life, and she’s happy here.”</p>
<p>“I never said she wasn’t happy, and she wasn’t unhappy in New York either. It all comes back to the sleazebag she married.” </p>
<p>“We finally agree on something,” Thor added with a knowing smile. “If only sister could see us now?”</p>
<p>"She isn’t to know about this.”</p>
<p>“She wouldn’t believe us anyway.”</p>
<p>“You have a point there.” Thor could picture Loki’s wicked smirk on his face. </p>
<p>“When can you get here?”</p>
<p>“I’m leaving for the airport now. I’ll see you soon, brother.” Loki hung up, and Thor closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath.</p>
<p>Thor came back to the waiting room to find Nat and Clint there with their notepads out, probably asking them questions about Steve. He returned to the chair he was sitting in before, hunching himself over and twirling his phone around in his hand with his leg bouncing. He caught Nat’s eye, and he shot her a hard glare, shaking his head. She didn’t even care that one of her best friends was abducted; instead, she was more worried about her job and following orders; when did she decide to finally become a rule follower. Thor heard footsteps approach him, and he looked beside him to see Sam. </p>
<p>“Hey man, I heard what happened. Sorry, I’m so late. I took an extra shift. Everything alright? Do you need anything?” Sam asked, taking the seat next to him.</p>
<p>“No news and I’m doing fine,” Thor gulped, leaning back and resting his hands together on his stomach.</p>
<p>“Any news on Steve?” Thor shook his head, staring straight ahead. “Do the police have any leads on YN?”</p>
<p>“None. As far as I am aware.” He shrugged, pointing to Nat and Clint. “They haven’t told me anything yet.”</p>
<p>Sam nodded, glancing between Thor and Nat, sensing something happened earlier. “How were Steve’s injuries? Was he still conscious?</p>
<p>“They seemed severe, but we’ve both seen worse. He had a gash on the side of his head, a knife sticking out of his torso. There was quite a bit of blood. He was unconscious, but he did manage to say YN and Jig before he passed out again. Never met him, so I don’t know if he has something to do with this. I have my theories, but the police aren’t looking into it. I told them to check his phone to see if Jig’s number matches her ex-husbands and that maybe he was lying about his name, but it’s breaking the chain of custody or some nonsense.” Thor crossed his arms, shaking his head.</p>
<p>“Wait, Steve said Jig,” Sam questioned, and Thor nodded, having explained this multiple times so far.  “You know I suspected him to be a little off when I met him at Happy’s. He seemed a little too full of himself with his hair gelled back, and his... “ </p>
<p>“You’ve met him,” Thor asked, sitting up straight with wide eyes. “If I bring up a picture of him. Do you think you could recognize him?” Sam nodded, and Thor scrolled through his phone until he found a picture of you and Billy. “Is this him?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, that’s the guy. How did…” Sam’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, shit.”</p>
<p>“I knew it.” Thor shot out of his chair heading straight for Nat. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading Part 16. Oh snap! How did this happen? Things were going so well, her and Steve were going to go on a date, but now she got kidnapped, Steve is in the hospital, and Cosmo got shoved into a closet. And just when Thor was starting to forgive himself for past events, this shit happens! And what is going on with Nat being a rule follower all the sudden? Interesting...And now, Loki is on his way to LA. (I never wrote him before, so I hope I did him justice!!) And for those of you that are 9-1-1 fans, it is similar to the kidnapping episode, you know the one. I like how they concocted it, so I worked off of that, but I did tweak it to my liking. As many suspected, Jig turned out to be Billy. It's a good thing Sam met him that night otherwise who knows how long it would've taken for them to realize. Also, I am curious if any of you Googled the name Jig with Marvel because I did, and he popped right up! Haha! Or did my subtle hints help you figure it out? Anyways, any theories as to what's to come? Will Thor ever be able to forgive himself? Is Steve gonna pull through? Are they going to find her in time? So many questions...I hope you all enjoyed Thor's POV in this part, I thought it would be a good change of pace. Anywho, my ramble is done, comments always welcome! Thanks again for reading!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AN: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. There is a long way to go and I promise things will definitely get more interesting. This was just a quick intro to some of the many characters that will make an appearance/cameo. Comments always welcome! Thanks for reading and I hope you’ll stick with me!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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